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HISTORY  OF  CUBA; 


^qUb  0f  a  fratrelkr  iit  i^t  f ropirs. 


BEING    A 


POLITICAL,  HISTOEICAL,  AND  STATISTICAL  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 
ISLAND,  FROM  ITS  FIRST  DISCOVERY  TO  THE 
PRESENT  TIME. 


BY 

MATURIN  M.  BALLOU.       «i 


L'iLe  de  Cuba  seule  pourrait  valoir  un  royaume. 

L'Abb^  Raynal, 


ILLUSTKATED. 


BOSTON: 

PHILLIPS,  SAMPSON  AND    COMPANY. 

NEW   YORK:    J.    C.   DERBY. 

PHILADELPHIA  :    LIPPINCOTT,  GRAMBO  &  COMPANY. 

1854. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

PHILLIPS,    SAMPSON    &   CO., 

Li  the  Clerk's  OflSce  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


stereotyped  by 

HOBAET  &  ROBBINS, 

New  England  Type  and  Stereotype  Foundery, 


FRANCIS   A.  DURIVAGE,  ESQ., 

^3  a  small  Jlokcn  cf  Ur^arti  for 

HIS    EXCELLENCE    IN    THOSE    QUALITIES    WHICn    COXSTITCTE    STERLING    MANHOOD  ;     AS   A 
TRCK   AND    AVORTHY   FRIEND  ;    AS   A    RIPE   SCHOLAR,    AND   A   GRACEFUL    AUTHOR, 

IS 

COROIALLY     l^KDlCATIiX) 

B  Y 

THE    AUTHOR. 


*>/B  tJK^vi'^yn 


PREFACE. 


The  remarkable  degree  of  interest  expressed  on  all  sides,  at  the  present 
time,  relative  to  the  island  of  Cuba,  has  led  the  author  of  the  following 
pages  to  place  together  in  this  form  a  series  of  notes  from  his  journal, 
kept  during  a  brief  residence  upon  the  island.  To  these  he  has  prefixed 
a  historical  glance  at  the  political  story  of  Cuba,  that  may  not  be  unwor- 
thy of  preservation.  The  fact  that  the  subject-matter  was  penned  in  the 
hurry  of  observation  upon  the  spot,  and  that  it  is  thus  a  simple  record  of 
what  would  be  most  likely  to  engage  and  interest  a  stranger,  is  his  excuse 
for  the  desultory  character  of  the  work.  So  critically  is  the  island  now 
situated,  in  a  political  point  of  view,  that  ere  this  book  shall  have  passed 
through  an  edition,  it  may  be  no  longer  a  dependency  of  Spain,  or  may 
have  become  the  theatre  of  scenes  to  which  its  former  convulsions  shall 
bear  no  parallel. 

In  preparing  the  volume  for  the  press,  the  author  has  felt  the  want  of 
books  of  reference,  bearing  a  late  date.  Indeed,  there  are  none  ;  and  the 
only  very  modern  records  are  those  written  in  the  desultory  manner  of 
hurried  travellers.  To  the  admirable  work  of  the  learned  Kamon  de  la 
Sagra,  —  a  monument  of  industry  and  intelligence,  —  the  author  of  the 
following  pages  has  been  indebted  for  historical  suggestions  and  data.  For 
the  privilege  of  consulting  this,  and  other  Spanish  books  and  pamphlets, 
relative  to  the  interests  and  history  of  the  island,  the  author  is  indebted 
to  the  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  who  kindly  placed  them  at  his  disposal. 
Where  statistics  were  concerned,  the  several  authorities  have  been  carefully 
collated,  and  the  most  responsible  given.  The  writer  has  preferred  to 
ofifer  the  fresh  memories  of  a  pleasant  trip  to  the  tropics,  to  attempting  a 
labored  volume  abounding  in  figures  and  statistics  ;  and  trusts  that  this 
summer  book  of  a  summer  clime  may  float  lightly  upon  the  sea  of  public 
favor.  M.  M.  B. 

1* 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  Island  of  Cuba  —  Early  colonists  —  Island  aborigines  —  First  importation  of  slaves  — 
Cortez  and  his  followers  —  Aztecs  —  The  law  of  races  —  Mexican  aborigines  —  Valley  of 
Mexico  —  Pizarro  —  The  end  of  heroes  —  Retributive  justice  —  Decadence  of  Spanish 
power  —  History  of  Cuba — The  rovers  of  the  gulf — Havana  fortified  —  The  tyrant 
Velasquez  —  0_ffice  of  Captain-general  —  Loyalt^of  the  Cubans  —  Power  of  the  cap- 
tain-general—  Cupidity  of  the  government  —  The  slave-trade  —  The  British  take  Ha- 
vana-^  General  Don  Luis  de  las  Casas  —  Don  Francisco  de  Arranjo  —  Improvement, 
moral  and  physical,  of  Cuba, .—....      9 

CHAPTER    II. 

The  constitution  of  1812  —  Revolution  of  La  Granja  —  Political  aspect  of  the  island  — 
Discontent  among  the  Cubans  —  The  example  before  them  —  Simon  Bolivar,  the  Liber- 
ator—  Revolutions  of  1823  and  1826  —  General  Lorenzo  and  the  constitution  —  The 
assumption  of  extraordinary  power  by  Tacon  —  Civil  war  threatened  —  Tacon  sustained 
by  royal  authoi'ity  —  Deyiair  of  the  Cubans  —  Military  rule  —  A  foreign  press  estab- 
lished —  Programme  of  the  liberal  party  —  General  O'Donnell  —  The  spoils  —  Influence 
of  the  climate, 25 

CHAPTER    III. 

Armed  intervention  —  Conspu-acy  of  Cienfuegos  and  Trinidad  —  General  Narciso  Lopez 
—  The  author's  views  on  the  subject  —  Inducements  to  revolt  —  Enormous  taxation  — 
Scheme  of  the  patriots  —  Lopez's  first  landing,  in  1850  —  Taking  of  uardinas  —  iieturn 
of  the  invaders  —  Effect  upon  the  Cuban  authorities  —  Roncali  recalled  —  New  captain- 
general  —  Lopez's  second  expedition  —  Condition  of  the  Invaders  —  Vicissitudes  —  Col. 
Crittenden  —  Battle  of  Las  Pozas  —  Superiority  of  courage  —  Battle  of  Las  Frias  — 
Death  of  Gen.  Euna— The  fearful  finale  of  the  expedition, 38 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Present  condition  of  Cuba  —  Secret  treaty  with  France  and  England  —  British  plan  for 
the  Africanization  of  the  island  —  Sale  of  Cuba  —  Measures  of  General  Pezuela  — 
Registration  of  slaves  —  Intermarriage  of  blacks  and  whites  —  Contradictory  procla- 
mations —  Spanish  duplicity  —  A  Creole's  view  of  the  crisis  and  the  prospect,  ...    54 


CONTENTS.  VII 


CHAPTER    V. 

Geographical  position  of  the  island  —  Its  size  —  The  climate  —  Advice  to  invalids  —  Glance 
at  the  principal  cities  —  Matanzas  —  Puerto  Principe  —  Santiago  de  Cuba  —  Trinidad  — 
The  writer's  first  view  of  Havana  —  Importance  of  the  capital  —  Its  literary  institu- 
tions —  Restriction  on  Cuban  youths  and  education  —  Glance  at  the  city  streets  —  Style 
of  architecture  —  Domestic  arrangements  of  town-houses  —  A  word  about  Cuban  ladies 
—  Small  feet  —  Grace  of  manners  and  general  characteristics, 66 

CHAPTER    VI. 

Conrrast  between  Protestant  and  Catholic  communities  —  Catholic  churches  — Sabbatli 
scenes  in  Havana  —  Devotion  of  the  common  people  —  The  Plaza  de  Armas  —  City 
squares  —  The  poor  man's  opera — Influence  of  music  —  La  Dominica  —  The  Tacon 
Paseo  —  The  Tacon  Theatre  —  The  Cathedral  —  Tomb  of  Columbus  over  the  altar  — 
Story  of  the  great  Genoese  pilot  —  His  death  —  Removal  of  remains  —  The  former  grciit 
wealth  of  the  chui-ch  in  Cuba  —  Influence  of  the  priests, 80 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Nudity  of  children  and  slaves  —  The  street  of  the  merchants — The  currency  of  Cuba  — 
The  Spanish  army  in  the  island  —  Enrolment  of  blacks  —  Courage  of  Spanish  troops  — 
Treatment  by  the  government  —  The  garotc  —  A  military  execution  —  The  market-mon 
and  their  waves  —  The  milk-man  and  his  mode  of  supply  —  Glass  v/indows  —  Curtains 
for  doors  —  The  Campo  Santo,  or  burial-place  of  Havana  —  Treatment  of  the  dead  — 
The  prison  —  The  fish-market  of  the  capital, 90 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

The  story  of  Blarti,  the  smuggler, 103 

CHAPTER    IX. 

The  lottery  at  Havana  —  Hospitality  of  thg^aniards  —  Flattery  —  Cuban  ladies  —  Cas- 
tilian,  Parisian  and  American  politeness  —  The  bonnet  in  Cuba  —  Ladies'  dresses  — 
The  fan  —  Jewelry  and  its  wear  —  Culture  of  flowers  —  Reflections  —  A  most  peculiar 
narcotic  —  Cost  of  living  on  the  island  —  Guineas  —  The  cock-pit  —  Training  of  luo 
birds  —  The  garden  of  the  world  —  Birds  of  the  tropics  —  Condition  of  agricultur*:  — 
Night-time  —  The  Southern  Cross  —  Natural  resources  of  Cutrar^^^ller  wrongs  and 
oppressions, 11 '3 

CHAPTER    X. 

The  volante  and  its  belongings  —  The  ancient  town  of  Regla  —  The  arena  for  the  bull- 
fights at  Havana  —  A  bull-fight  as  witnessed  by  the  author  at  Regla  —  A  national  pas- 
sion with  the  Spanish  people  —  Compared  with  old  Roman  sports  —  Famous  bull-fight- 
ers —  Personal  description  of  Cuban  ladies  —  Description  of  the  men  —  Romance  and 
the  tropics  —  The  nobility  of  Cuba  —  Sugar  noblemen  —  The  grades  of  society  —  The 
yeomanry  of  the  island  —  Their  social  position  —  What  they  might  be  —  Love  of  gam- 
bling,   131 


VIII  /X  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    XI, 


A  sugar  plantation  —  Americans  employed  —  Slaves  on  the  plantations  —  A  coffee  plan-|  ■ 
tation —  Culture  of  coffee,  sugar  and  tobacco  —  Statistics  of  agriculture  —  The  cucullos^. 
or  Cuban  fire-fly  —  Novel  ornaments  worn  by  the  ladies  —  The  Cuban  mode  of  har- 
nessing oxen  —  The  montero  and  his  horse  —  Curious  style  of  out-door  painting  —  Petty 
annoyances  to  travellers  —  Jealousy  of  the  authorities  —  Japan-like  watchfulness  —  • 
Questionable  policy  —  Political  condition  of  Cuba, 14;' 

CHAPTER    XII. 

Tacon's  summary  mode  of  justice, 161 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Consumption  of  tobacco  —  The  universal  cigar  —  Lady  smokers  —  The  fruits  of  Cuba  — 
Flour  a  prohibited  article  —  The  royal  palm  —  West  Indian  trees  —  Snakes,  animals,  etc. 

—  The  Cuban  blood-hound  —  Mode  of  training  him  —  Remarkable  instinct  —  Importa- 
tion of  slaves  —  Then-  cost  —  Various  African  tribes  —  Superstitious  belief — Tattooing 

—  Health  of  the  negroes  —  Slave  laws  of  the  island  —  Food  of  the  negroes  —  Spanish 
law  of  emancipation  —  General  treatment  of  the  slaves, 171 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Pecuniary  value  of  the  slave-trade  to  Havana  —  The  slave  clippers  —  First  introduction 
of  slaves  into  Cuba  —  Monopoly  of  the  trafi&c  by  England  —  Spain's  disregard  of  treaty 
stipulations  —  Spanish  perfidy  —  Present  condition  of  Spain  —  Her  decadence  —  Influ- 
ence upon  her  American  possessions  —  Slaves  upon  the  plantations  —  The  soil  of  Cuba 

—  Mineral  wealth  of  the  island  —  The  present  condition  of  the  people  —  The  influences 
of  American  progress  —  What  Cuba  might  be, ' 185 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Area  of  Cuba  —  Extent  of  cultivated  and  uncultivated  lands  —  Population  —  Proportion 
between  the  sexes  —  Ratio  of  legitimate  to  illegitimate  births  —  Ratio  between  births 
and  deaths  —  Agricultural  statistics  —  Commerce  and  commercial  regulations  —  Custom- 
house and  port  charges  —  Exports  and  imports  —  Trade  with  the  United  States  —  Uni- 
versities and  schools  —  Education  —  Charitable  institutions  —  Railroads  Temper- 
ature,   201 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Retrospective  thoughts  —  The  bright  side  and  dark  side  of  the  picture  —  Cuban  institu- 
tions contrasted  with  our  own  —  Political  sentiinents  of  the  Creoles  —  War  footing  — 
Loyalty  of  the  colony  —  Native  men  of  genius  — The  Cubans  not  willing  slaves  —  Our 
own  revolution  —  Apostles  of  rebellion  —  Moral  of  the  Lopez  expedition  —  Jealousy  of 
Spain  —  Honorable  position  of  our  government  —  Spanish  aggressions  on  our  flag  — 
Purchase  of  the  island  —  Distinguished  conservative  opinion  —  The  end, 214 


THE 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  Island  of  Cuba  —  Early  colonists  —  Island  aborigines  —  First  import- 
ation of  slaves  —  Cortez  and  his  followers  —  Aztecs  —  Tlic  law  of  races 
—  Mexican  aborigines  —  Valley  of  Mexico  —  Pizarro  —  The  end  of 
heroes  —  Ketributive  justice  —  Decadence  of  Spanish  power  —  History 
of  Cuba  —  The  rovers  of  the  Gulf—  Havana  fortified  —  The  tyrant  Ve- 
lasquez —  Ofl&ce  of  captain-general  —  Loyalty  of  the  Cubans  —  Power 
of  the  captain-general  —  Cupidity  of  the  government  —  The  slave- 
trade  —  The  British  take  Havana  —  General  Don  Luis  de  las  Casas  — 
Don  Francisco  de  Arranjo  —  Improvement,  moral  and  physical,  of  Cuba. 

The  island  of  Cuba,  one  of  the  earliest  discoveries  of 
the  great  admiral,  has  been  known  to  Europe  since  1492, 
and  has  borne,  successively,  the  names  of  Juana,=^-  Fernan- 
dina,  Santiago  and  Ave  Maria,  having  found  refuge  at  last 
in  the  aboriginal  appellation.  Soon  after  its  discovery  by 
Columbus,  it  was  colonized  by  Spaniards  from  St.  Domingo, 
but  was  considered  mainly  in  the  light  of  a  military  depot, 
by  the  home  government,  in  its  famous  operations  at  that 

*  In  honor  of  Prince  John,  son  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  Changed  to 
Fernandina  on  the  death  of  Ferdinand  ;  afterwards  called  Ave  Maria, 
in  honor  of  the  Holy  Virgin.     Cuba  is  the  Indian  name. 


10  HISTORY    or   CUBA. 

period  in  Mexico.  /  The  fact  that  it  was  destined  to  prove 
the  richest  jewel  in  the  Castilian  crown,  and  a  mine  of 
wealth  to  the  Spanish  treasury,  was  not  dreamed  of  at  this 
stage  of  its  history.  Even  the  enthusiastic  followers  of  Cor- 
tez,  who  sought  that  fabulous  El  Dorado  of  the  New  World, 
had  no  golden  promise  to  hold  forth  for  this  gem  of  the 
Caribbean  Sea. 

The  Spanish  colonists  from  St.  Domingo  found  the  island 
inhabited  by  a  most  peculiar  native  race,  hospitable,  inof- 
fensive, timid,  fond  of  the  dance  and  the  rude  music  of 
their  own  people,  yet  naturally  indolent  and  lazy,  from  the 
character  of  the  climate  they  inhabited.  They  had  some 
definite  idea  of  God  and  heaven ;  and  were  governed  by 
patriarchs,  or  kings,  whose  word  was  law,  and  whose  age 
gave  them  precedence.  They  had  few  weapons  of  ofience 
or  defence,  and  knew  not  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow. 
Of  course,  they  were  at  once  subjected  by  the  new  comers, 
who  reduced  them  to  a  state  of  slavery ;  and,  proving  hard 
taskmasters,  the  poor,  over-worked  natives  died  in  scores, 
until  they  had  nearly  disappeared,  when  the  home  govern- 
ment granted  permission  to  import  a  cargo  of  negroes  from 
the  coast  of  Africa  to  labor  upon  the  ground,  and  to  seek 
for  gold,  which  was  thought  to  exist  in  the  river-courses.* 


*  "  Thus,"  exclaims  the  pious  Arrati,  "  began  that  gathering  of  an  in- 
finite numbei'  of  gentiles  to  the  bosom  of  our  holy  religion,  who  would 
otherwise  have  perished  in  the  darkness  of  paganism."  Spain  has  liberal 
laws  relative  to  the  religious  instruction  of  the  slaves ;  but  they  are  no 
better  than  a  dead  letter. 


HISTORY    UF   CUliA.  11 

Thus  early  commenced  the  slave-trade  of  Cuba,  a  subject 
to  which  -we  shall  have  occasion  more  fully  to  refer. 

Cuba  became  the  head-quarters  of  the  Spanish  power  in 
the  westj  forming  the  point  of  departure  for  those  military 
expeditions  which,  though  inconsiderable  in  numbers,  were 
so  formidable  in  the  energy  of  the  leaders,  and  in  the  arms, 
"dfeCiptineTcourage,  ferocity,  fanaticism  and  avarice,  of  their 
followers,  that  they  were  amply  adequate  to  carry  out  the 
vast  schemes  of  conquest  for  which  they  were  designed. 
It  was  hence  that  Cortez  marched  to  the  conquest  of  Mexico, 
—  a  gigantic  undertaking  —  one  a  slight  glance  at  which 
will  recall  to  the  reader  the  period  of  history  to  which  we 
would  direct  his  attention.  Landing  upon  the  continent, 
with  a  little  band,  scarcely  more  than  half  the  complement 
of  a  modern  regiment,  he  prepared  to  traverse  an  unknown 
country,  thronged  by  savage  tribes,  with  whose  character, 
habits  and  means  of  defence,  he  was  wholly  unacquainted. 
This  romantic  adventure,  worthy  of  the  palmiest  days  of 
chivalry,  was  crowned  with  success,  though  checkered  with 
various  fortune,  and  stained  with  bloody  episodes,  that 
prove  how  the  threads  of  courage  and  ferocity  are  insep- 
arably blended  in  the  woof  and  warp  of  Spanish  character. 
It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  spirit  of  the 
age  was  harsh,  relentless  and  intolerant;  and,  that  if  the 
Aztecs,  idolaters  and  sacrificers  of  human  victims,  found  no 
mercy  at  the  hands  of  the  fierce  Catholics  whom  Cortez 


12  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

commanded,  neither  did  the  Indians  of  our  own  section  of 
the  continent  fare  much  better  at  the  hands  of  men  profess- 
ing a  purer  faith,  and  coming  to  these  shores,  not  as  war- 
riors, with  the  avowed  purpose  of  conquest,  but  themselves 
persecuted  fugitives. 

As  the  first  words  that  greeted  the  ears  of  the  Plymouth 
colonists  were  "  Welcome,  Englishmen  !  "  uttered  by  a  poor 
native,  who  had  learned  them  from  the  fishermen  off  the 
northern  coast,  so  were  the  Spaniards  at  first  kindly  wel- 
comed by  the  aborigines  they  encountered  in  the  New 
World.  Yet,  in  the  north-east  and  south-west  the  result 
was  the  same :  it  mattered  little  whether  the  stranger  was 
Roman  Catholic  or  Protestant ;  whether  he  came  clad  in 
steel,  or  robed  in  the  garments  of  peace ;  whether  he  spoke 
the  harsh  English,  the  soft  French,  or  the  rich  Castilian 
tongue.  The  inexorable  laws  which  govern  races  were  rig- 
idly enforced ;  the  same  drama  was  everywhere  enacted,  the 
white  race  enjoying  a  speedy  triumph.  There  were  episod- 
ical struggles,  fierce  and  furious,  but  unavailing;  here 
G  uatimozin,  there  Philip  of  Pokanoket  —  here  a  battle,  there 
a  massacre. 

The  Spanish  general  encountered  a  people  who  had  at- 
tained a  far  higher  point  of  art  and  civilization  than  their 
red  brethren  of  the  north-east  part  of  the  continent.  Vast 
pyramids,  imposing  sculptures,  curious  arms,  fanciful  gar- 
ments, various  kinds  of  manufactures,  the  relics  of  which 
still  strangely  interest  the  student  of  the  past,  filled  the  in- 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  13 

vaders  with  surprise.  There  was  much  that  was  curious 
and  startling  in  their  mythology,  and  the  capital  of  the 
Mexican  empire  presented  a  singular  and  fascinating  spec- 
tacle to  the  eyes  of  Cortez.  The  rocky  amphitheatre  in 
the  midst  of  which  it  was  built  still  remains  unchanged, 
but  the  vast  lake  which  surrounded  it,  traversed  by  cause- 
ways, and  covered  with  floating  gardens,  laden  with  flowers 
and  perfume,  is  gone.  The  star  of  the  Aztec  dynasty  set 
in  blood.  In  vain  did  the  inhabitants  of  the  conquered  city, 
roused  to  madness  by  the  cruelty  and  extortion  of  the  vic- 
tors, expel  them  from  their  midst.  Cortez  refused  to  flee 
further  than  the  shore ;  the  light  of  his  burning  galleys 
rekindled  the  desperate  valor  of  his  followers,  and  Mexico 
fell,  as  a  few  years  after  did  Peru  under  the  perfidy  and 
sword  of  Pizarro,  thus  completing  the  scheme  of  conquest, 
and  givmg  Spain  a  colonial  empire  more  splendid  than  that 
of  any  other  power  in  Christendom. 

Of  the  agents  in  this  vast  scheme  of  territorial  aggran- 
dizement, we  see  Cortez  dying  in  obscurity,  and  Pizarro 
assassinated  in  his  palace,  while  retributive  justice  has  over- 
taken the  monarchy  at  whose  behests  the  richest  portions  of 
the  western  continent  were  violently  wrested  from  their 
native  possessors.  If  "the  wild  and  warlike,  the  indolent 
and  the  semi-civilized,  the  bloody  Aztec,  the  inoffensive 
Peruvian,  the  fierce  Araucanian,  all  fared  alike"  at  the 
hands  of  Spain,  it  must  be  confessed  that  their  wrongs  have 
been  signally  avenged.  "  The  horrid  atrocities  practised  at 
2      ' 


14  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

home  and  abroad,"  says  Edward  Everett,  ''not  only  in  thel 
Netherlands,  but  in  every  city  of  the  northern  country, 
cried  to  Heaven  for  vengeance  upon  Spain ;  nor  could  she 
escape  it.  She  intrenched  herself  behind  the  eternal 
Cordilleras ;  she  took  to  herself  the  wings  of  the  morningj 
and  dwelt  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea ;  but  even  there 
the  arm  of  retribution  laid  hold  of  her,  and  the  wrongs 
of  both  hemispheres  were  avenged  by  her  degeneracy  and 
fall." 

So  rapid  a  fall  is  almost  without  a  parallel  in  the  history 
of  the  world.  Less  than  three  centuries  from  the  time 
when  she  stood  without  a  rival  in  the  extent  and  wealth  of 
her  colonial  possessions,  she  beheld  herself  stripped,  one  by 
one,  of  the  rich  exotic  jewels  of  her  crown.  Her  vice-regal 
coronet  was  torn  from  her  grasp.  Mexico  revolted;  the 
South  American  provinces  threw  off  her  yoke ;  and  nowj 
though  she  still  clutches  with  febrile  grasp  the  brightest  gem 
of  her  transatlantic  possessions,  the  island  of  Cuba,  yet  it 
is  evident  that  she  cannot  long  retain  its  ownership.  The 
"  ever-faithful  "  island  has  exhibited  immistakable  symptoms 
of  infidelity,  its  demonstrations  of  loyalty  being  confined  to 
the  government  officials  and  the  hireling  soldiery.  The 
time  will  surely  come  when  the  last  act  of  the  great  drama 
of  historical  retribution  will  be  consummated,  and  when,  in 
spite  of  the  threatening  batteries  of  the  Moro  and  the  Punta, 
and  the  bayonets  of  Spanish  legions,  siempre  Jiel  will  no 
longer  be  the  motto  of  the  Queen  of  the  Antilles. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  '        15 

The  history  of  Cuba  is  deficient  in  events  of  a  stirring 
character,  and  yet  not  devoid  of  interest.  Columbus  found 
it  inhabited,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  by  a  race  whose 
manners  and  character  assimilated  with  the  mild  climate  of 
this  terrestrial  paradise.  Although  the  Spanish  conquerors 
have  left  us  but  few  details  respecting  these  aborigines,  yet 
we  know  with  certainty,  from  the  narratives  of  the  great 
discoverer  and  his  followers,  that  they  were  docile  and 
generous,  but,  at  the  same  time,  inclined  to  ease ;  that  they 
were  well-formed,  grave,  and  far  from  possessing  the  vivac- 
ity of  the  natives  of  the  south  of  Europe.  They  ex- 
pressed themselves  with  a  certain  modesty  and  respect,  and 
were  hospitable  to  the  last  degree.  Their  labor  was  lim- 
ited to  the  light  work  necessary  to  provide  for  the  wants 
of  life,  while  the  bounteous  climate  of  the  tropics  spared 
the  necessity  of  clothing.  They  preferred  hunting  and  fish- 
ing to  agriculture;  and  beans  and  maize,  with  the  fruits 
that  nature  gave  them  in  abundance,  rendered  their  diet 
at  once  simple  and  nutritious.  They  possessed  no  quad- 
rupeds of  any  description,  except  a  race  of  voiceless  dogs, 
of  whose  existence  we  have  no  proof  but  the  assertion  of 
the  discoverers. 

The  island  was  politically  divided  into  nine  provinces, 
namely,  Baracoa,  Bayaguitizi,  Macaca,  Bayamo,  Camaguey, 
Jagua,  Cueyba,  Habana  and  Haniguanica.  At  the  head  of 
each  was  a  governor,  or  king,  of  whose  laws  we  have  no 
\record,   or  even  tradition.      An  unbroken   peace   reigned 


16  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

among  them,  nor  did  they  turn  their  hands  against  any  other 
people.  Their  priests,  called  Behiques^  were  fanatics, 
superstitious  to  the  last  degree,  and  kept  the  people  in  fear 
by  gross  extravagances.  They  were  not  cannibals,  nor  did 
they  employ  human  sacrifices,  and  are  represented  as  dis- 
tinguished by  a  readiness  to  receive  the  Gospel. 

The  capital  of  the  island  was  Baracoa,*  erected  into  a 
city  and  bishopric  in  1518,  but  both  were  transferred  to 
Santiago  de  Cuba  in  1522.  In  the  year  1538,  the  city  of 
Havana  was  surprised  by  a  French  corsair  and  reduced  to 
ashes.  The  French  and  English  buccaneers  of  the  West 
Indies,  whose  hatred  the  Spaniards  early  incurred,  were  for 
a  long  time  their  terror  and  their  scourge.  Enamored  of 
the  wild  life  they  led,  unshackled  by  any  laws  but  the  rude 
regulations  they  themselves  adopted,  unrefined  by  inter- 
course with  the  gentler  sex,  consumed  by  a  thirst  for  adven- 
ture, and  brave  to  ferocity,  these  fierce  rovers,  for  many 
years,  were  the  actual  masters  of  the  gulf  They  feared 
no  enemy,  and  spared  none;  their  vessels,  constantly  on 
the  watch  for  booty,  were  ever  ready,  on  the  appearance  of 
a  galleon,  to  swoop  down  like  an  eagle  on  its  prey.  The 
romance  of  the  sea  owes  some  of  its  most  thrilling  chapters] 
to  the  fearful  exploits  of  these  buccaneers.  Their  coup  de 
maiji  on  Havana  attracted  the  attention  of  De  Soto,  the 
governor  of  the  island,  to  the  position  and  advantages  of  the 

*  Here  Leo  X.  erected  the  first  cathedral  in  Cuba.  Baracoa  is  situated 
on  the  north  coast,  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  island,  and  contains 
Bome  three  thousand  inhabitants,  mixed  population. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  ^  17 

port  at  which  the  Spanish  vessels  bound  for  the  peninsula 
with  the  riches  of  New  Mexico  were  accustomed  to  touch, 
and  he  accordingly  commenced  to  fortify  it.  It  increased 
in  population  by  degrees,  and  became  the  habitual  guberna- 
torial residence,  until  the  home  government  made  it  the 
capital  of  the  island  in  1589,  on  the  appointment  of  the  first 
Captain-general,  Juan  de  Tejada. 

The  native  population  soon  dwindled  away  under  the 
severe  sway  of  the  Spaniards,  who  imposed  upon  them 
tasks  repugnant  to  their  habits,  and  too  great  for  their 
strength. 

Velasquez,  one  of  the  earliest  governors  of  the  island, 
appears  to  have  been  an  energetic  and  efficient  magistrate, 
and  to  have  administered  affairs  with  vigor  and  intelligence  ; 
but  his  harsh  treatment  of  the  aborigines  will  ever  remain 
a  stain  upon  his  memory.  A  native  chief,  whose  only  crime 
was  that  of  taking  up  arms  in  defence  of  the  integrity  of 
his  little  territory,  fell  into  the  hands  of  Velasquez,  and  was 
burned  alive,  as  a  punishment  for  his  patriotism.*  It  is  no 
wonder  that  under  such  treatment  the  native  population 
disappeared  so  rapidly  that  the  Spaniards  were  forced  to 
supply  their  places  by  laborers  of  hardier  character. 

We  have  seen  that  the  office  of  captain-general  was  es- 
tablished in  1589,  and,  with  a  succession  of  incumbents,  the 

*The  words  of  this  unfortunate  chief  (Hatuey),  extorted  by  the  tor- 
ments he  suffered,  were,  "  Prefiero  el  ivfierno  al  cielo  si  en  cielo  ha  Es- 
panoles."     (I  prefer  hell  to  heaven,  if  there  are  Spaniards  in  heaven.) 

2* 


18  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

office  has  been  maintained  until  the  present  day,  retaining 
the  same  functions  and  the  same  extraordinary  powers. 
The  object  of  the  Spanish  government  is,  and  ever  has 
been,  to  derive  as  much  revenue  as  possible  from  the  island ; 
and  the  exactions  imposed  upon  the  inhabitants  have  in- 
creased in  proportion  as  other  colonies  of  Spain,  in  the 
western  world,  have  revolted  and  obtained  their  independ- 
ence. The  imposition  of  heavier  burthens  than  those  im- 
posed upon  any  other  people  in  the  world  has  been  the  re- 
ward of  the  proverbial  loyalty  of  the  Cubans ;  while  the 
epithet  of  ''  ever-faithful,"  bestowed  by  the  crown,  has  been 
their  only  recompense  for  their  steady  devotion  to  the  throne. 
But  for  many  years  this  lauded  loyalty  has  existed  only  in 
appearance,  while  discontent  has  been  fermenting  deeply 
beneath  the  surface. 

The  Cubans  owe  all  the  blessings  they  enjoy  to  Providence 
alone  (so  to  speak),  while  the  evils  which  they  suffer  are 
directly  referable  to  the  oppression  of  the  home  government. 
Nothing  short  of  a  military  despotism  could  maintain  the 
connection  of  such  an  island  with  a  mother  country  more 
than  three  thousand  miles  distant ;  and  accordingly  we  find 
the  captain-general  of  Cuba  invested  with  unlimited  power. 
He  is,  in  fact,  a  viceroy  appointed  by  the  crown  of  Spain, 
and  accountable  only  to  the  reigning  sovereign  for  his  ad 
ministration  of  the  colony.  His  rule  is  absolute ;  he  hai 
the  power  of  life  and  death  and  liberty  in  his  hands.  He 
can,  by  his  arbitrary  will,  send   into  exile  any  person  what- 


HISTORY    OF  CUBA.  19 

ever,  be  his  name  or  rank  what  it  may,  whose  residence  in 
the  island  he  considers  prejudicial  to  the  royal  interest,  even 
if  he  has  committed  no  overt  act.  He  can  suspend  the 
operation  of  the  laws  and  ordinances,  if  he  sees  fit  to  do  so ; 
can  destroy  or  confiscate  property;  and,  in  short,  the 
island  may  be  said  to  be  perpetually  in  a  state  of  siege. 

Such  is  the  infirmity  of  human  nature  that  few  individ- 
uals can  be  trusted  with  despotic  power  without  abusing  it; 
and  accordingly  we  find  very  few  captain-generals  whose 
administration  will  bear  the  test  of  rigid  examination.  Few 
men  who  have  governed  Cuba  have  consulted  the  true  in- 
terests of  the  Creoles ;  in  fact,  they  are  not  appointed  for 
that  purpose,  but  merely  to  look  after  the  crown  revenue. 
An  office  of  such  magnitude  is,  of  course,  a  brilliant  prize, 
for  which  the  grandees  of  Spain  are  constantly  struggling ; 
and  the  means  by  which  an  aspirant  is  most  likely  to  secure 
the  appointment  presupposes  a  character  of  an  inferior  or- 
der. The  captain-general  knows  that  he  cannot  reckon  on 
a  long  term  of  office,  and  hence  he  takes  no  pains  to  study 
the  interests  or  gain  the  good-will  of  the  Cubans.  He 
has  a  two-fold  object  in  view, —  to  keep  the  revenue  well 
up  to  the  mark,  and  to  enrich  himself  as  speedily  as  possi- 
ble. Hence,  the  solemn  obligations  entered  into  by  Spain 
with  the  other  powers  for  the  suppression  of  the  African 
slave-trade  are  a  dead  letter  ;  for,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
the  captains-general  of  Cuba  have  connived  at  the  illegal 
importation  of  slaves,   receiving  for  tlieir  complaisance  a 


20  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

large  percentage  on  the  value  of  each  one  landed  on  the 
island ;  for,  though  the  slavers  do  not  discharge  their  living 
freights  at  the  more  frequented  ports,  still  their  arrival  is  a 
matter  of  public  notoriety,  and  it  is  impossible  that,  with 
the  present  system  of  espionage,  the  authorities  can  be 
ignorant  of  such  an  event.  Nor  can  we  imagine  that  the 
home  government  is  less  well-informed  upon  the  subject, 
though  they  assume  a  politic  ignorance  of  the  violation  of 
the  law.  Believing  that  the  importation  of  slaves  is  essen- 
tial to  the  maintenance  of  the  present  high  revenue,  Spain 
illustrates  the  rule  that  there  are  none  so  blind  as  those  who 
do  not  wish  to  see.  It  is  only  the  cheapness  of  labor,  re- 
sulting from  the  importation  of  slaves,  that  enables  the 
planters  to  pour  into  the  government  treasury  from  twenty 
to  twenty-four  millions  of  dollars  annually.  Of  this  we 
may  speak  more  fully  hereafter. 

In  1760,  the  invasion  and  conquest  of  the  island  by  the 
British  forms  one  of  the  most  remarkable  epochs  in  its 
history.,-  This  event  excited  the  fears  of  Spain,  and  directed 
the  attention  of  the  government  to  its  importance  in  a  polit- 
ical point  of  view.  On  its  restoration,  at  the  treaty  of  peace 
concluded  between  the  two  governments  in  the  following  year, 
Spain  seriously  commenced  the  work  of  fortifying  the  Ha- 
vana, and  defending  and  garrisoning  the  island  generally. 

The  elements  of  prosperity  contained  within  the  limits  of 
this  peerless  island  required  only  a  patriotic  and  enlightened 
administration  for  their  development ;   and  the  germ  of  its 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  21 

civilization  was  stimulated  by  the  appointment  of  General 
Don  Luis  de  las  Casas  to  the  post  of  captain-general.  Dur- 
ing the  administration  of  this  celebrated  man,  whose  memory 
is  cherished  with  fond  respect  by  the  Cubans,  The  Patriotic 
Society  of  Havana  was  formed,  with  the  noble  idea  of  dif- 
fusing education  throughout  the  island,  and  introducing  a 
taste  for  classical  literature,  through  his  instrumentality, 
while  the  press  was  also  established  in  the  capital,  by  the 
publication  of  the  Papel  Periodico. 

In  the  first  third  of  the  present  century,  the  intendeiite^ 
Don  Alejandro  Ramirez,  labored  to  regulate  the  revenues 
and  economical  condition  of  the  country,  and  called  the  at- 
tention of  the  government  to  the  improvement  of  the  white 
population.  But  the  most  important  concession  obtained  of 
the  metropolitan  government,  the  freedom  of  commerce,  was 
due  to  the  patriotic  exertions  of  Don  Francisco  de  Arranjo, 
the  most  illustrious  name  in  Cuban  annals,  "one,"  says  the 
Countess  Merlin,  "  who  may  be  quoted  as  a  model  of  the 
humane  and  peaceful  virtues,"  and  "who  was,"  says  Las 
Casas,  "a  jewel  of  priceless  value  to  the  glory  of  the  na- 
tion, a  protector  for  Cuba,  and  an  accomplished  statesman 
for  the  monarchy."  Even  the  briefest  historical  sketch 
(and  this  record  pretends  to  no  more)  would  be  incomplete 
without  particular  mention  of  this  excellent  man. 

He  was  born  at  Havana,  May  22d,  1765.  Left  an  or- 
phan at  a  very  early  age,  he  managed  the  family  estate, 
while  a  mere  boy,  with  a  discretion  and  judgment  which 


22  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

would  have  done  honor  to  a  man  of  mature  age.  Turning 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  the  law,  he  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  mother  country,  where  for  a  considerable 
period  he  acted  as  the  agent  for  the  municipality  of  Havana, 
and,  being  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  capabilities  of  the 
island,  and  the  condition  and  wants  of  his  countrymen,  he 
succeeded  in  procuring  the  amelioration  of  some  of  the  most 
flagrant  abuses  of  the  colonial  system.  By  his  exertions,  the 
staple  productions  of  the  island  were  so  much  increased  that 
the  revenue,  in  place  of  falling  short  of  the  expenses  of  the 
government,  as  his  enemies  had  predicted,  soon  yielded  a  large 
surplus.  He  early  raised  his  voice  against  the  iniquitous 
slave-trade,  and  suggested  the  introduction  of  white  laborers,- 
though  he  perceived  that  the  abolition  of  slavery  was  im- 
practicable. It  was  owing  to  his  exertions  that  the  duty  on 
coJBfee,  spirits  and  cotton,  was  remitted  for  a  period  of  ten 
years,  and  that  machinery  was  allowed  to  be  imported  free 
of  duty  to  the  island. 

The  Junta  de  Fomento  (society  for  improvement)  and 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  were  the  fruits  of  his  indefatiga- 
ble eflforts.  Of  the  latter  institution  he  was  for  a  long  time 
the  Syndic,  refusing  to  receive  the  perquisites  attached  to- 
the  office,  as  he  did  the  salaries  of  the  same  and  other  offices 
that  he  filled  during  his  useful  life.  While  secretary  of  the 
Chamber,  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  bold  opposition  to 
the  schemes  of  the  infamous  Godoy  (the  Prince  of  Peace), 
the  minion  of  the  Queen  of  Spain,  who,  claiming  to  be  pro- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  23 

tector  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  demanded  the  receipts 
of  the  custom-house  at  Havana.  He  not  only  defeated  the 
plans  of  Godoy.  but  procured  the  relinquishment  of  the 
royal  monopoly  of  tobacco.  His  patriotic  services  were  ap- 
preciated by  the  court  at  Madrid,  although  at  times  he  was 
the  inflexible  opponent  of  its  schemes.  The  cross  of  the 
order  of  Charles  IH.  showed  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  that  monarch.  Yet,  with  a  modesty  which  did  him 
honor,  he  declined  to  accept  a  title  of  nobility  which  was 
afterwards  ofiered  to  him.  In  1813,  when,  by  the  adoption 
of  the  constitution  of  1812,  Cuba  became  entitled  to  repre- 
sentation in  the  general  Cortes,  he  visited  Madrid  as  a  dep- 
uty, and  there  achieved  the  crowning  glory  of  his  useful 
life, —  the  opening  of  the  ports  of  Cuba  to  foreign  trade. 
In  1817  he  returned  to  his  native  island  with  the  rank  of 
Counsellor  of  State,  Financial  Intendente  of  Cuba,  and 
wearing  the  grand  cross  of  the  order  of  Isabella.  He  died  in 
1837,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two,  after  a  long  and  eminently 
useful  life,  bequeathing  large  sums  for  various  public  purposes 
and  charitable  objects  in  the  island.  Such  a  man  is  an 
honor  to  any  age  or  nation,  and  the  Cubans  do  well  to  cher- 
isli  his  memory,  which,  indeed,  they  seem  resolved,  by  fre- 
quent and  kindly  mention,  to  keep  ever  green. 

Fostered  by  such  men,  the  resources  of  Cuba,  both  phys- 
ical and  intellectual,  received  an  ample  and  rapid  develop- 
ment. The  youth  of  the  island  profited  by  the  means  of 
instruction    now   liberally   placed   at    their   disposal;    the 


24  HISTORY  OF  CUBA. 

sciences  and  belles-lettres  were  assiduously  cultivated ;  agri- 
culture and  internal  industry  were  materially  improved,  and 
an  ambitious  spirit  evoked,  which  subsequent  periods  of 
tyranny  and  misrule  have  not  been  able,  with  all  their  bane- 
ful influences,  entirely  to  erase. 

The  visitor  from  abroad  is  sure  to  hear  the  people  refer 
to  this  "  golden  period,"  as  they  call  it,  of  their  history, 
the  influence  of  which,  so  far  from  passing  away,  appears 
to  grow  and  daily  increase  with  them.  It  raised  in  their 
bosoms  one  spirit  and  trust  which  they  sadly  needed, — 
that  of  self-reliance, —  and  showed  them  of  what  they  were 
capable,  under  liberal  laws  and  judicious  government. 


CHAPTER    II. 

The  constitution  of  1812  —  Revolution  of  La*Granja  —  Political  aspect^ 
of  the  island  —  Discontent  among  the  Cubans  —  The  example  before 
them  —  Simon  Bolivar,  the  Liberator  —  Revolutions  of  1823  and  1826 
—  General  Lorenzo  and  the  constitution  —  The  assumption  of  extraordi- 
nary power  by  Tacon  —  Civil  war  threatened  —  Tacon  sustained  by 
royal  authority  —  Despair  of  the  Cubans  —  Military  rule  —  A  foreign 
press  established  —  Programme  of  the  liberal  party —  General  O'Don- 
nell  —  The  spoils  —  Influence  of  the  climate. 

When  the  French  invasion  of  Spain  in  1808  produced 
the  constitution  of  1812,  Cuba  was  considered  entitled  to 
enjoy  its  benefits,  and  the  year  1820  taught  the  Cubans  the 
advantage  to  be  derived  by  a  people  from  institutions  based 
on  the  principle  of  popular  intervention  in  public  affairs. 
The  condition  of  the  nation  on  the  death  of  Ferdinand  VII. 
obliged  Queen  Christina  to  rely  on  the  liberal  party  for  a 
triumph  over  the  pretensions  of  the  Infante  Don  Carlos  to 
the  crown,  and  to  assure  the  throne  of  Donna  Isabella  II., 
and  the  Estatuto  Real  (royal  statute)  was  proclaimed 
in  Spain  and  Cuba.  The  Cubans  looked  forward,  as  in 
1812  and  1820,  to  a  representation  in  the  national  congress, 
and  the  enjoyment  of  the  same  liberty  conceded  to  the  Pe- 
ninsula. An  institution  was  then  established  in  Havana, 
3 


26  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

with  branches  in  the  island,  called  the  Royal  Society  for 
Improvement,  already  alluded  to  in  our  brief  notice  of  Don 
Erancisco  Arranjo.  The  object  of  this  society  was  to  aid 
and  protect  the  progress  of  agriculture  and  commerce ;  and 
it  achieved  a  vast  amount  of  good.  At  the  same  time,  the 
press,  within  the  narrow  limits  conceded  to  it,  discussed  with 
intelligence  and  zeal  the  interests  of  the  country,  and  dif- 
fused a  knowledge  of  them. 

In  1836  the  revolution  known  as  that  of  La  Granja,  pro- 
voked and  sustained  by  the  progressionists  against  the  mod- 
erate party,  destroyed  the  "  Royal  Statute,"  and  proclaimed 
the  old  constitution  of  1812.  The  queen-mother,  then 
Regent  of  Spain,  convoked  the  constituent  Cortes,  and  sum- 
moned deputies  from  Cuba. 

Up  to  this  time,  various  political  events,  occurring  within 
a  brief  period,  had  disturbed  but  slightly  and  accidentally 
the  tranquillity  of  this  rich  province  of  Spain.  The  Cubans, 
although  sensible  of  the  progress  of  public  intelligence  and 
wealth,  under  the  protection  of  a  few  enlightened  governors, 
and  through  the  influence  of  distinguished  and  patriotic 
individuals,  were  aware  that  these  advances  were  slow,  par- 
tial and  limited,  that  there  was  no  regular  system,  and  that 
the  public  interests,  confided  to  officials  intrusted  with  un- 
limited power,  and  liable  to  the  abuses  inseparable  from 
absolutism,  frequently  languished,  or  were  betrayed  by  a 
cupidity  which  impelled  despotic  authorities  to  enrich  them- 
selves in  every  possible  way  at  the  expense  of  popular  suf- 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  27 

fering.  Added  to  these  sources  of  discontent  was  the 
powerful  mfluence  exerted  over  the  intelligent  portion  of 
the  people  by  the  portentous  spectacle  of  the  rapidly-in- 
creasing greatness  of  the  United  States,  where  a  portion  of 
the  Cuban  youths  were  wont  to  receive  their  education,  and 
to  learn  the  value  of  a  national  independence  based  on  dem- 
ocratic principles,  principles  which  they  were  apt  freely  to 
discuss  after  returning  to  the  island. 

There  also  were  the  examples  of  Mexico  and  Spanish 
South  America,  which  had  recently  conquered  with  their 
blood  their  glorious  emancipation  from  monarchy.  Liberal 
ideas  were  largely  diffused  by  Cubans  who  had  travelled  in 
Europe,  and  there  imbibed  the  spirit  of  modern  civilization. 
But,  with  a  fatuity  and  obstinacy  which  has  always  charac- 
terized her,  the  mother  country  resolved  to  ignore  these 
causes  of  discontent,  and,  instead  of  yielding  to  the  popular 
current,  and  introducing  a  liberal  and  mild  system  of  gov- 
ernment, drew  the  reins  yet  tighter,  and  even  curtailed 
many  of  the  privileges  formerly  accorded  to  the  Cubans. 
It  is  a  blind  persistence  in  the  fated  principle  of  despotic 
domination  which  has  relaxed  the  moral  and  political  bonds 
uniting  the  two  countries,  instilled  gall  into  the  hearts  of 
the  governed,  and  substituted  the  dangerous  obedience  of 
terror  for  the  secure  loyalty  of  love.  This  severity  of  the , 
home  government  has  given  rise  to  several  attempts  to  throw 
off  the  Spanish  yoke. 

The  first  occurred  in  1823,  when  the  Liberator,  Simon 


28  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

Bolivar,  offered  to  aid  the  disaffected  party  by  throwing  an 
invading  force  into  the  island.  The  conspiracy  then  formed, 
by  the  aid  of  the  proffered  expedition,  for  which  men  were 
regularly  enlisted  and  enrolled,  would  undoubtedly  have 
ended  in  the  triumph  of  the  insurrection,  had  it  not  been 
discovered  and  suppressed  prematurely,  and  had  not  the 
governments  of  the  United  States,  Great  Britain  and 
France,  intervened  in  favor  of  Spain.  In  1826  some  Cu- 
ban emigrants,  residing  in  Caraccas,  attempted  a  new  expe- 
dition, which  failed,  and  caused  the  imprisonment  and  execu- 
tion of  two  patriotic  yomig  men,  Don  Francisco  de  Agiiero, 
y  Yelazco,  and  Don  Bernabe  Sanchez,  sent  to  raise  the  de- 
partment of  the  interior.  In  1828  there  was  a  yet  more 
formidable  conspiracy,  known  as  El  Aguila  Negra  (the 
black  eagle).  The  efforts  of  the  patriots  proved  unavail- 
ing, foiled  by  the  preparation  and  power  of  the  government, 
which  seems  to  be  apprised  by  spies  of  every  intended 
movement  for  the  cause  of  liberty  in  Cuba. 

We  have  alluded  to  the  revolution  of  La  Granja,  in 
Spain,  and  we  have  now  briefly  to  consider  its  effects  on  the 
island  of  Cuba,  then  under  the  sway  of  General  Don  Mi- 
guel Tacon.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  more  than 
once,  in  the  course  of  our  records  of  the  island,  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  Tacon ;  for  he  made  his  mark  upon  Cuba, 
and,  though  he  governed  it  with  an  iron  hand  and  a  stern 
will,  as  we  shall  see,  yet  he  did  much  to  improve  its  physi- 
cal condition,  even  as  Louis  Napoleon,  despot  though  he  be, 


HISTORY   OP  CUBA.  29 

has  already  vastly  beautified  and  improved  the  sanitary 
condition  of  the  city  of  Paris. 

The  first  place  on  the  island  which  received  intelligence 
of  the  revolution  of  La  Granja,  and  the  oath  to  the  consti- 
tution of  1812  by  the  Queen-Regent  of  Spain,  was  Santi- 
ago de  Cuba,  the  capital  of  the  eastern  department.  It  was 
then  commanded  by  General  Lorenzo,  who  immediately 
assembled  the  authorities,  corporations  and  functionaries,  in 
pursuance  of  the  example  of  his  predecessors, — who,  without 
waiting  for  the  orders  of  the  higher  authority  of  the  island, 
had,  under  similar  circumstances,  prepared  to  obey  the  su- 
preme government  of  the  nation, —  and  proclaimed  through 
his  department  the  Code  of  Cadiz,  without  any  opposition, 
and  to  the  general  joy  of  Spaniards  and  Cubans.  His  first 
acts  were  to  reestablish  the  constitutional  ayuntamiento^ 
the  national  militia,  the  liberty  of  the  press,  and  all  other 
institutions,  on  the  same  footing  as  in  1823,  when  King 
Ferdinand  recovered  absolute  authority,  and  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  election  of  deputies  to  the  new  Cortes. 

Tacon,  who  was  not  a  friend  to  liberal  institutions,  and 
who  was  fixed  in  his  idea  that  the  new  constitution  would 
convulse  the  country,  notwithstanding  his  knowledge  of  the 
state  of  things  when  this  law  was  actually  in  force  in  Cuba, 
was  quite  indignant  when  he  heard  what  had  transpired. 
Knowing  that  he  could  not  compel  General  Lorenzo  to 
abrogate  the  constitution  he  had  proclaimed,  he  forthwitli 
cut  off  all  communication  with  the  eastern  department,  and 
3* 


30  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

formed  a  column  to  invade  it,  and  to  restore  the  old  order 
of  things  by  force.  This  was  a  bold,  impolitic  and  danger- 
ous move,  because  this  resolve  was  contrary  to  the  wishes 
of  the  supreme  government  and  public  opinion,  which  would 
not  fail  to  see  treason  in  the  act  of  Gen.  Tacon,  against  the 
mother  country.  , 

Although  the  royal  proclamation  which  announced  to 
Tacon  the  establishment  of  the  constitution  in  Spain  inti- 
mated forthcoming  orders  for  the  election  of  deputies  in 
Cuba  to  the  general  Cortes,  still  he  considered  that  his 
commission  as  captain-general  authorized  him,  under  the 
circumstances,  to  carry  out  his  own  will,  and  suppress  at 
once  the  movement  set  on  foot  by  General  Lorenzo,  on 
the  ground  of  its  danger  to  the  peace  of  the  island,  and  the 
interests  of  Spain.  The  royal  order,  which  opened  the  way 
for  his  attacks  upon  the  Cuban  people,  after  a  confused  pre- 
amble, confers  on  the  captain-general  all  the  authority  ap- 
pertaining in  time  of  war  to  a  Spanish  governor  of  a  city 
in  a  state  of  siege,  authorizing  him  in  any  circumstances 
and  by  his  proper  will  to  suspend  any  public  functionary, 
whatever  his  rank,  civil,  military,  or  ecclesiastical ;  to  ■ 
banish  any  resident  of  the  island,  without  preferring  any  ac- 
cusations :  to  modify  any  law,  or  suspend  its  operations  :* 

*  "  En  su  consecuencia  da  S.  M.  a  V.  E.  la  mas  amplia  e  ilimitada  au- 
torizacion,  no  tan  solo  para  separar  de  esa  Isla  a  las  personas  empleadas 
6  no  empleadas,  cualquiera  que  sea  su  destino,  rango,  clase  6  condicion, 
cuya  permanencia  en  ella  crea  prejudicial,  6  que  le  infunda  recelos  su  con- 
ducta  publica  6  privada,  reemplazandolas  interinamente  con  servidores 
fieles  a  S.  M.  y  que  merezcan  a  V.  E,  toda  su  confianza,  sino  tambien  para 
suspender  la  ejecucion  de  eualesquiera  ordenes  6  providencias  generales 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  31 

disobey  with  impunity  any  regulation  emanating  from  the 
Spanish  government ;  to  dispose  of  the  public  revenues  at 
his  will ;  and,  finally,  to  act  according  to  his  pleasure,  wind- 
ing up  with  recommending  a  moderate  use  of  the  confidence 
evinced  by  the  sovereign  in  according  power  so  ample. 

Although  the  captains-general  of  Cuba  have  always 
been  invested  with  extraordinary  power,  we  believe  that 
these  items  of  unlimited  authority  were  first  conferred  upon 
Vivez  in  1825,  when  the  island  was  menaced  by  an  invasion 
of  the  united  forces  of  Mexico  and  Columbia.  In  these 
circumstances,  and  emanating  from  an  absolute  authority, 
like  that  of  Ferdinand  VII.,  a  delegation  of  power  which 
placed  the  destinies  of  the  island  at  the  mercy  of  its  chief 
ruler  might  have  had  the  color  of  necessity  ;  but  to  con- 
tinue such  a  delegation  of  authority  in  time  of  peace  is  a 
most  glaring  and  inexcusable  blunder. 

Meanwhile  Tacon  assembled  a  column  of  picked  compa- 
nies of  the  line,  the  provincial  military  and  rural  cavalry, 
and  placed  them,  under  the  orders  of  General  Gascue,  in  the 
town  of  Guines,  hoping  by  this  great  parade  and  prepara- 
tion to  impose  on  General  Lorenzo,  and  strike  terror  into 
the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  island.  He  also  adroitly 
worked  by  secret  agents  upon  the  forces  at  Santiago  de 
Cuba,  and  thus  by  cunning  and  adroitness  brought  about 
quite  a  reaction  in  the  public  sentiment. 

espedidas  sobre  todos  los  r.amos  de  la  administx'acion  en  aqiiella  parte  en 
que  V.  E.  considere  conveniente  ai  real  servicio,  debiendo  ser  en  todo  caso 
provisionales  estas  mcdidas,  y  dar  V.  E.  cuenta  a  S.  M.  para  su  soberana 
aprobacion." — Fro}7i  the  Royal  Ordinance  conferring  unlimited  power  a 
on  the  Captains-general  of  Cvha. 


32  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

Under  these  circumstanceSj  if  General  Lorenzo,  master 
of  the  eastern  department,  with  two  regiments  of  regular 
troops,  all  the  national  militia,  all  devoted  to  the  new  order 
of  things  and  ready  to  obey  his  will,  had  marched  upon 
Puerto  Principe,  the  capital  of  the  centre,  where  the  gar- 
rison was  not  strong  enough  to  oppose  him,  and  had  there 
proclaimed  the  constitutional  code  through  the  authority  of 
the  royal  Audleticla.  Gen.  Tacon  would  unquestionably 
have  desisted  from  his  opposition,  and  relinquished  the 
command  of  the  island.  Cuba  would  then  have  enjoyed 
the  same  political  rights  as  the  rest  of  Spain,  and  have 
escaped  the  horrors  of  tyranny  which  have  since  weighed 
her  down.  But  Gen.  Lorenzo  proved  weak,  let  slip  the 
golden  opportunity  of  triumphing  over  Tacon,  and  returned 
to  Spain  in  the  vain  hope  that  the  supreme  government 
would  sustain  him.  Li  the  mean  time,  Tacon  sent  his  body 
of  soldiery  to  Santiago,  their  arrival  being  signalized  by  the 
establishment  of  a  military  commission  to  try  and  punish 
all  who  had  been  engaged  innocently  in  establishing  the 
fallen  constitution.  The  commandant  Moya  presided,  and 
the  advocate  Miret  was  held  as  counsel. 

No  sooner  had  this  barbarous  tribunal  commenced  its 
proceedings,  than  no  Creole  belonging  to  families  of  influence 
could  look  upon  himself  as  safe  from  persecution,  since 
nearly  all  of  them  had  hastened  to  obey  the  orders  of 
General  Lorenzo,  and,  like  him,  taken  oath  to  the  constitu- 
tion.    Many  men  of  rank,  reputation  and  education,  includ- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  33 

ing  several  respectable  clergymen,  fell  under  the  ban  l  ^  the 
military  commission.  Some  were  thrown  into  the  prisons 
of  Santiago  cle  Cuba,  some  banished  for  a  given  period,  and 
many  emigrated  to  avoid  the  horrors  of  a  Spanish  dungeon, 
and  the  greater  part  in  one  way  or  another  were  torn  from 
the  bosoms  of  their  families.  Of  the  soldiers  who  fnith- 
fally  obeyed  their  officers,  about  five  hundred  v,-eiO  .on- 
demned  to  work  in  the  streets  of  Havana,  vvitli  tlioir  feet 
shackled.  Such  are  the  measures  meted  oul  by  despotism 
to  those  who  have  the  misfortune  to  live  under  its  iron  yoke. 
Tacon  triumphed,  yet  the  Cubans  did  not  utterly  despair. 
They  cherished  the  hope  that  the  Spanish  government 
would  recognize  the  legality  of  their  proceedings  in  the 
eastern  department ;  but  they  were  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment. The  Cuban  deputies  presented  themselves  in  the 
Spanish  capital,  and  oifered  their  credentials.  But  they 
were  referred  to  a  committee  of  men  profoundly  ignorant  of 
the  feelings,  opinions  and  condition,  of  the  Cuban  people,  or 
deriving  what  few  notions  they  possessed  from  those  inter- 
ested on  the  side  of  Tacon.  The  deputies  were  not  allowed 
sk  seat  in  the  Cortes,  and  the  government  decided  that  the 
provisions  of  the  constitution  should  not  apply  to  Cuba, 
l)ut  that  it  should  be  governed  by  special  laws.  Since  then, 
the  island  has  been  ruled  hy  the  arbitrary  will  of  the  cap- 
tains-general, without  intervention  of  the  Spanish  Cortes, 
without  the  intervention  of  the  island,  and,  what  is  almost 
inconceivable,  at  first  thought,  without  the  direct  action  even 
of  the  sovereign  authority. 


34  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

Tacon,  now  that  the  royal  authority  had  sustained  his 
action,  was  more  despotic  than  ever.  It  is  true  that  he  in- 
troduced some  legal  and  municipal  reforms  ;  that  he  embel- 
lished the  capital,  and  improved  its  health  ;  but  under  him 
the  censorship  of  the  press  was  almost  prohibitory.  The 
local  ayuntamieiitos^  which,  at  the  most  despotic  epoch, 
had  frequently  produced  happy  effects,  by  representing  to 
the  sovereign  the  wants  of  the  country,  were  shorn  of  their 
privileges,  and  their  attributes  confined  to  the  collection 
and  distribution  of  the  municipal  funds.  Tacon  is  also 
charged  with  promoting  the  jealousies  naturally  existing 
between  Spaniards  and  Creoles,  and  with  completely  sub- 
jecting the  civil  courts  to  military  tribunals. 

"  In  a  state  of  agitation  in  the  public  mind,  and  disorder 
in  the  government,"  says  the  author  of  an  able  pamphlet 
entitled  "  Cuba  y  su  Gohierno^^^  to  whom  we  are  indebted 
for  invaluable  information  that  could  only  be  imparted  by  a 
Creole,  "  with  the  political  passions  of  Spaniards  and  Cubans 
excited ;  the  island  reduced  from  an  integral  part  of  the 
monarchy  to  the  condition  of  a  colony,  and  with  no  other 
political  code  than  the  royal  order,  conferring  unlimited 
power  upon  the  chief  authority ;  the  country  bowed  down 
under  the  weighty  tyranny  of  two  military  commissions 
established  in  the  capitals  of  the  eastern  and  western  depart- 
ments ;  with  the  prisons  filled  with  distinguished  patriots  ; 
deprived  of  representation  in  the  Cortes;  the  ayiintamlen- 
tos  prohibited  the  right  of  petition  ;  the  press  forbidden  to 


.  1 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  35 

enunciate  the  state  of  public  opinion,  closed  the  adminis- 
tration of  General  Don  Miguel  Tacon  in  the  island  of  Cuba, 
the  most  calamitous,  beyond  a  question,  that  this  country 
has  suffered  since  its  discovery  by  the  Spaniards." 

The  liberal  party  of  Cuba,  denied  the  expression  of  their 
views  in  the  local  prints,  and  anxious  to  present  their  wants 
and  their  grievances  before  the  home  government,  conceived 
the  ingenious  idea  of  establishing  organs  abroad.  Two 
papers  were  accordingly  published ;  one  at  Paris,  called  ^El 
Correo  de  Ultramar ^''^  and  one  at  Madrid,  entitled  ^^El  Oh- 
servador,''^  edited  by  distinguished  Cubans.*  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  these  produced  no  ftivorable  result, 
and  the  people  of  the  island  became  convinced  that  the 
mother  country  was  resolved  to  persevere  in  the  plan  of 
ruling  Cuba  with  a  rod  of  iron,  indifferent  alike  to  her  tears 
and  her  remonstrances. 

The  programme  of  the  liberal  party  was  exceedingly 
moderate,  petitioning  only  for  the  following  concessions : 
1st,  That  a  special  ministry,  devoted  to  Cuban  affairs,  should 
be  established  at  Madrid ;  2d,  That  a  legal  organ  of  com- 
munication between  Spain  and  Cuba  should  be  established 
in  the  island,  to  represent  the  well-defined  interests  of  the 
metropolis  and  the  colony  ;  3d,  That  some  latitude  should  be 
given  to  the   press,  now  controlled  by  a  triple  censorship  5 

*  "  La  Verdad,"  a  paper  devoted  to  Cuban  interests,  established  in  New 
York  in  1848,  and  conducted  with  signal  ability,  is  distributed  gratui- 
tously, the  expense  being  defrayed  by  contributions  of  Cubans  and  the 
fi'iends  of  Cuban  independence.  This  is  the  organ  of  the  annexation 
party,  organized  by  exiles  in  this  country. 


36  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

4thj  That  efficacious  means  should  be  adopted  for  the  com- 
plete suppression  of  the  barbarous  traffic  in  African  slaves ; 
5thj  That  the  government  should  permit  the  establishment 
of  societies  for  the  improvement  of  the  -white  inhabitants ; 
6th,  That  the  island  should  be  relieved  of  the  enormous 
weight  of  the  contributions  now  levied  upon  her.  None  of 
these  privileges,  however,  have  been  conceded  to  suffering 
Cuba  by  the  home  government. 

The  first  successor  of  General  Tacon  ruled  Cuba  with  a 
spirit  of  moderation  and  temperance,  seeking  to  conciliate 
the  liberals,  and  giving  hopes  of  great  reforms,  w^hich  as 
yet  have  never  been  accomplished.  During  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Prince  de  Aglona,  a  superior  tribunal,  the 
Koyal  Pretorial  Audience,  was  established  in  Havana,  to  take 
cognizance  of  civil  suits  in  cases  of  appeal,  and  to  resolve 
the  doubts  which  the  confused  system  of  legislation  produces 
at  every  step  in  the  inferior  tribunals.  Gen.  Valdes  was 
the  first  and  only  official  who  granted  free  papers  to  the 
emancipated  negroes  who  had  served  out  their  term  of  ap- 
prenticeship, and  who  opposed  the  African  trade.  He  showed, 
by  his  example,  that  this  infamous  traffic  may  be  destroyed 
in  the  country  without  a  necessary  resort  to  violent  meas- 
ures, but  by  the  will  of  the  captain-general. 

General  O'Donnell,  as  captain-general,  =^  instead  of  re- 

*  General  Leopold  O'Donnell  was  appointed  governor-general  in  1843, 
continuing  a  little  over  four  years  to  fill  the  lucrative  position.  His  wife 
was  a  singular  and  most  avaricious  woman,  engaged  in  many  speculations 
upon  the  island,  and  shamefully  abusing  her  husband's  official  influence 
for  the  purposes  of  pecuniary  emolument. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  37 

pressing,  encouraged  the  slave-trade,  and  a  greater  number 
of  the  unfortunate  victims  of  human  avarice  were  intro- 
duced into  the  island,  during  his  administration,  than  during 
any  like  term  since  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty  of  1817. 
Of  course  he  vacated  his  post  vastly  enriched  by  the  spoils, 
having  doubtless  received,  as  was  declared,  from  one  to  two 
doubloons  per  head  on  every  slave  landed  upon  the  island 
during  his  administration  ;  a  sum  that  would  alone  amount 
to  a  fortune. 

Of  events  which  transpired  during  the  administration  of 
Roncali  and  Concha  we  may  have  occasion  to  speak  here- 
after, but  with  this  more  modern  chapter  in  the  history  of 
the  island  the  general  reader  is  already  conversant.  It 
appears  almost  incredible  that  an  intelligent  people,  within 
so  short  a  distance  of  our  southern  coast,  constantly  visited ' 
by  the  citizens  of  a  free  republic,  and  having  the  example 
of  successful  revolt  set  them,  by  the  men  of  the  same  race, 
both  in  the  north  and  south,  weighed  down  by  oppressions 
almost  without  parallel,  should  never  have  aimed  an  effect- 
ual blow  at  their  oppressors.  It  would  seem  that  the  soft- 
ness of  the  unrivalled  climate  of  those  skies  beneath  Avhich 
it  is  luxury  only  to  exist  has  unnerved  them,  and  that  the 
effeminate  spirit  of  the  original  inhabitants  has  descended 
in  retribution  to  the  posterity  of  the  conquistador es. 


a48'77rj 


CHAPTER   III. 

Armed  intervention  —  Conspiracy  of  Cienfuegos  and  Trinidad  —  General 
Narciso  Lopez  —  The  author's  views  on  the  subject  —  Inducements  to 
revolt  —  Enormous  taxation  —  Scheme  of  the  patriots — Lopez's  first 
landing  in  1850  —  Taking  of  Cardinas  —  Return  of  the  invaders  — 
Effect  upon  the  Cuban  authorities  —  Roncali  recalled  —  New  captain- 
general' —  Lopez's  second  expedition  —  Condition  of  the  Invaders  — 
Vicissitudes  —  Col.  Crittenden  —  Battle  of  Las  Pozas  —  Superiority  of 
courage  —  Battle  of  Las  Frias  —  Death  of  Gen.  Enna  —  The  fearful 
finale  of  the  expedition. 

We  have  noticed  in  the  preceding  chapter,  the  anomaly 
of  the  political  condition  of  Cuba,,  increasing  in  prosperity 
and  civilization,  imbibing  liberal  ideas  from  its  geographical 
position,  and  yet  denied  participation  in  the  few  shadowy 
rights  which  the  peninsular  subjects  of  the  enfeebled,  dis- 
tracted and  despotic  parent  monarchy  enjoyed.  We  have 
seen  that,  in  later  years,  the  adoption  of  more  liberal  ideas 
by  Spain  produced  no  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  the 
colony ;  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  a  conformity  to  the 
legal  enactments  of  the  mother  country  was  punished  as 
treason.  The  result  of  the  movement  in  the  western  depart- 
ment, under  Tacon,  showed  the  Cubans  that  they  had 
nothing  to  hope  from  Spain,  while  the  cruelties  of  General 
O'Donnell  increased  the  great  discontent  and  despair  of  the 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  39 

people.  They  now  became  satisfied  that  the  hope  of  legal 
reform  was  but  a  chimera ;  and  a  portion  of  the  liberal  party, 
seeing  no  issue  from  their  insufferable  position  but  that  of 
revolution,  boldly  advocated  the  intervention  of  arms. 

In  1848  a  conspiracy  was  formed,  in  Cienfuegos  and 
Trinidad,  with  the  purpose  of  throwing  off  the  Spanish 
yoke  ;  but  it  was  soon  discovered,  and  crushed  by  the  im- 
prisonment of  various  individuals  in  the  central  department. 
The  principal  leader  in  this  movement  was  General  ISTarciso 
Lopez,  who  succeeded  in  effecting  his  escape  to  the  United 
States,  where  he  immediately  placed  himself  in  communi- 
cation with  several  influential  and  liberal  Creoles,  voluntary 
and  involuntary  exiles,  and  established  a  correspondence 
with  the  remnant  of  the  liberal  party  yet  at  liberty  on  the 
island,  at  the  same  time  being  aided  in  his  plans  by  Ameri- 
can sympathy.  The  result  of  the  deliberations  of  himself, 
his  correspondents  and  associates,  was  to  try  by  the  chances 
of  war  for  the  liberation  of  Cuba.  The  disastrous  result 
of  the  expedition  boldly  undertaken  for  this  purpose  is 
already  well  known. 

Before  sketching  the  principal  features  of  this  attempt, 
we  may  be  permitted  to  declare  that,  although  we  deplore 
the  fate  of  those  of  our  countrymen  who  perished  in  the 
adventure,  though  we  readily  concede  that  many  of  them 
were  actuated  by  lofty  motives,  still  we  must  condemn  their 
action,  and  approve  of  the  vigorous  measures  adopted  by 
the  federal  government  to  suppress  that  species  of  reckless 


40  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

adventure  in  which  the  Jlihustiers  engaged.  No  amount 
of  sympathy  with  the  sufferings  of  an  oppressed  people,  no 
combination  of  circumstances,  no  possible  results,  can  excuse 
the  fitting  out  of  a  warlike  expedition  in  the  ports  of  a  na- 
tion against  the  possessions  of  a  friendly  power.  The  flag 
which  has  waved  unstained  in  peace  and  war  over  a  free 
land  for  more  than  three  quarters  of  a  century,  must  remain 
spotless  to  the  last.  The  hopes  of  every  free  heart  in  the 
world  are  centred  on  our  banner,  and  we  must  see  -to  it 
that  no  speck  dims  the  dazzling  lustre  of  its  stars.  No 
degree  of  pride  at  the  daring  gallantry  displayed  by  the 
little  handful  of  invaders  of  Cuba,  — a  gallantry  inherited 
from  a  brave  ancestry  who  displayed  their  valor  in  the  holiest 
of  causes,  —  must  blind  our  eyes  to  the  character  of  the  ad- 
venture which  called  it  forth.  We  have  tears  for  the  fallen, 
as  brothers  and  men ;  but  our  conscience  must  condemn  their 
errors.  While,  individually,  we  should  rejoice  to  see  Cuba 
free,  and  an  integral  portion  of  the  Union,  nothing  will  ever 
induce  us  to  adopt  the  atrocious  doctrine  that  the  ends  jus- 
tify the  means.  But  let  us  pass  to  a  consideration  of  the 
recent  events  in  the  records  of  the  island. 

Many  of  the  leading  patriots  of  the  island  undoubtedly 
believed  that  the  government  of  the  United  States  would 
second  their  efforts,  if  they  should  decide  to  unite  themselves 
to  our  republic,  and  boldly  raise  the  banner  of  annexation. 
A  portion  of  the  Cuban  liberals  adopted  the  motto,  "  Legal 
Reform  or  Independence;"  and  these  two  factions  of  the 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  41 

patriots  did  not  henceforth  act  in  perfect  concert  with  each 
other  —  a  most  fatal  error  to  the  interests  of  both.  Time 
and  circumstances  favored  the  war  and  annexation  party ; 
the  people  were  more  than  ever  discontented  with  a  govern- 
ment which  so  oppressed  them  by  a  military  despotism,  and 
by  the  enormous  weight;  of  the  unjust  taxation  levied  upon 
them.  We  may  here  remark  that  the  increase  of  the  public 
revenue,  in  the  midst  of  so  many  elements  of  destruction 
and  ruin,  can  only  be  explained  by  the  facility  with  which 
the  captain-general  and  royal  stewards  of  the  island  invent 
and  arrange  taxes,  at  their  pleasure,  and  without  a  shadow 
of  propriety,  or  even  precedent. 

The  consuming  population  of  Cuba  amounts  to  about 
eight  hundred  thousand  souls,  and  the  total  amount  of  taxes 
and  contributions  of  various  forms  is  more  than  twenty-three 
millions  of  dollars,  in  specie,  per  annum  !  It  is  hardly  con- 
ceivable that  such  a  sum  can  be  extorted  from  a  population 
whose  wealth  is  precarious,  and  whose  living  is  so  costly. 
With  this  revenue  the  government  pays  and  supports  an 
army  of  over  twenty  thousand  Peninsular  troops  in  the 
island ;  a  vast  number  of  employes,  part  of  the  clergy  and 
half  the  entire  navy  of  Spain ;  the  diplomatic  corps  in  the 
United  States  and  Mexico ;  many  officials  of  rank  at  home 
in  Spain ;  and  the  surplus  is  remitted  to  Spain,  and  spent 
on  the  Peninsula  on  matters  entirely  foreign  to  the  interests 
of  the  island  itself.     A  precious  state  of  affairs  ! 

The  colored  population  of  the  island,  both  slaves  and 
4* 


42  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

free,  hated  the  Spaniards,  for  good  reasons.  The  war 
party,  moreover,  reckoned  on  the  genius  of  a  leader  (Lopez) 
trained  to  arms,*  equal  in  talents  to  any  of  the  Spanish 
generals,  and  beloved  by  the  Spanish  troops,  as  well  as  by 
the  Cuban  population ;  and  they  relied,  also,  as  we  have 
said,  on  the  sympathy  and  ultimate  aid  of  the  United 
States  government.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  interested 
parties  in  this  country,  prompted  by  mercenary  motives, 
increased  this  latter  delusion  by  false  reports ;  while  the 
Cuban  conspirators,  in  turn,  buoyed  up  the  hopes  of  their 
friends  in  the  United  States,  by  glowing  accounts  of  the 
patriotic  spirit  of  the  Creoles,  and  the  extent  of  the  prepara- 
tions they  were  making  for  a  successful  revolt.  General 
Lopez  was  actively  arranging  the  means  for  an  invasion, 
when,  in  1849,  the  United  States  government  threw  terror 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Jlibustiers,  by  announcing  its  deter-* 
mination  to  enforce  the  sacredness  of  treaty  stipulations. 
This,  for  a  time,  frustrated  the  intended  invasion. 

In  1850  Lopez  succeeded  in  effecting  his  first  descent 
upon  the  island.  Having  succeeded  in  baffling  the  vigilance 
of  the  United  States  government,  an  expedition,  consisting 
of  six  hundred  and  fifty-two  men,  was  embarked  on  board 
two  sailing-vessels  and  the  steamer  Creole,  which  conveyed 
the  general  and  his  staff.  In  the  beginning  of  July  the 
sailing-vessels   left  New  Orleans,   with  orders   to   anchor 

*  His  reputation  as  a  cavalry  officer  was  very  distinguished,  and  he  was 
commonly  recognized  as  La  jirimera  Lanza  de  Ef^pana  (the  first  lance 
of  Spain).  —  Louis  Schlesinger''s  JVarrative  of  the  Expedition. 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  43 

at  Contoj,  one  of  the  Mugeres  Islands,  on  the  coast  of 
Yucatan ;  the  general  followed,  on  the  Creole,  on  the  7th. 
At  the  time  when  the  troops  were  embarked  on  the  Creole 
at  Contoj,  fifty-two  of  the  number,  who  had  been  deceived 
as  to  the  nature  of  the  expedition,  refused  to  follow  the  gen- 
eral, and  were  left  on  the  island,  with  the  intention  of 
returning  to  the  United  States  in  the  two  schooners.  Gen- 
eral Lopez,  after  gaining  some  information  from  a  fisherman 
he  encountered,  resolved  to  land  at  Cardenas,  on  the  north- 
ern coast  of  the  island,  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles  east  of 
Havana.  He  calculated  that  he  could  surprise  and  master 
the  garrison  before  the  captain-general  could  possibly  obtain 
intelligence  of  his  departure  from  New  Orleans.  His  plan 
was,  to  master  the  town,  secure  the  authorities,  intimidate 
the  Spaniards,  and  then,  sustained  by  the  moral  influence 
of  victory,  proceed  to  Matanzas  by  railroad. 

Roncali,  the  captain-general,  having  received  intelligence 
of  the  landing  at  Contoy,  despatched  several  ships-of-war  in 
that  direction,  to  seize  upon  the  general  and  his  followers. 
The  latter,  however,  escaped  the  snare,  and  effected  his 
landing  on  the  19th.  The  garrison  rushed  to  arms,  and, 
while  a  portion  of  the  troops,  after  immaterial  loss,  retired 
in  good  order  to  the  suburbs,  another,  under  the  command 
of  Governor  Ceruti,  intrenched  themselves  in  the  govern- 
ment-house, and  gave  battle  to  the  invaders.  After  a 
sharp  skirmish,  the  building  being  set  on  fire,  they  surren- 
dered ;  the  governor  and  two  or  three  officers  were  made 


44  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

prisoners,  and  the  soldiers  consented  to  join  the  revolution- 
ary colors !  Meanwhile,  a  body  of  one  hundred  invaders 
seized  upon  the  railroad  station.  The  engines  were  fired 
up,  and  the  trains  made  ready  to  transport  the  invading 
column  to  Matanzas. 

But  now  came  a  pause.  General  Lopez,  seeing  that  the 
native  population  did  not  respond  to  his  appeal,  knew  that 
as  soon  as  the  news  of  the  taking  of  Cardenas  should  be 
circulated,  he  would  be  in  a  very  critical  situation.  In 
fact,  the  governor  of  Matanzas  was  soon  on  the  march,  at 
the  head  of  five  hundred  men.  General  Armero  sailed  from 
Havana  in  the  Pizarro,  with  a  thousand  infantry,  while  two 
thousand  five  hundred  picked  troops,  under  the  command  of 
General  Count  de  Mirasol,  were  sent  from  Havana  by  the 
railroad.  Lopez  saw  that  it  would  be  madness  to  wait  the 
attack  of  these  formidable  columns,  unsupported  save  by  his 
own  immediate  followers,  and  accordingly  issued  his  orders 
for  the  reembarkation  of  his  band,  yet  without  relinquish- 
ing the  idea  of  landing  on  some  more  favorable  point  of  the 
island. 

That  portion  of  the  garrison  which,  in  the  beginning  of 
the  affair,  had  retreated  to  the  suburbs,  finding  itself  rein- 
forced by  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  attempted  to  cut  off  the 
retreat  of  the  invading  general ;  but  the  deadly  fire  of  the 
latter's  reserve  decimated  the  horse,  and  the  infantry,  dis- 
mayed at  their  destruction,  took  to  rapid  flight.  The  Creole 
accordingly  left  the   port  without  molestation,   and  before 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  45 

the  arrival  of  the  government  steam-frigate  Pizarro.  The 
Spanish  prisoners  were  landed  at  Cayo  de  Piedras.  and 
then  Lopez,  discovering  the  Pizarro  in  the  distance,  made 
for  the  American  continent,  where  the  steamer  was  aban- 
doned. General  Lopez  was  arrested  by  the  authorities  of 
Savannah,  but  liberated  again,  in  deference  to  the  public 
clamor.  The  Creole  was  seized,  confiscated  and  sold.  The 
invaders  disbanded ;  and  thus  this  enterprise  terminated. 

A  less  enterprising  and  determined  spirit  than  that  of 
General  Lopez  would  have  been  completely  broken  by  the 
failure  of  his  first  attempts,  the  inactivity  of  the  Cubans, 
the  hostility  of  the  American  government,  and  the  formid- 
able forces  and  preparations  of  the  Spanish  officials.  He 
believed,  however,  that  the  Cubans  were  ripe  for  revolt ; 
that  public  opinion  in  the  United  States  would  nullify  the 
action  of  the  federal  government :  and  that,  if  he  could  once 
gain  a  foothold  in  the  island,  the  Spanish  troops  would 
desert  in  such  numbers  to  his  banners  that  the  preponder- 
ance of  power  would  soon  be  upon  his  side ;  and,  with  these 
views,  he  once  more  busied  himself,  with  unremitting  indus- 
try, to  form  another  expedition. 

Meanwhile,  the  daring  attack  upon  Cardenas,  while  it 
demonstrated  the  determination  of  the  invading  party, 
caused  great  anxiety  in  the  mind  of  General  Roncali. 
True,  he  had  at  his  disposal  an  army  of  more  than  twenty 
thousand  regular  troops ;  but  he  was  by  no  means  sure  of 
their  loyalty,  and  he  therefore  determined  to  raise  a  local 


46  HISTORY    OF   CtTBA. 

militia ;  but,  as  he  sufifered  only  Spaniards  to  enlist  in  it, 
he  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the  Cuban-born  inhabitants,  and 
thus  swelled  the  force  of  opposition  against  the  government. 
General  Lopez  was  informed  of  this  fact,  and  based  new 
hopes  upon  the  circumstance. 

The  Spanish  government,  having  recalled  Roncali,  ap- 
pointed Don  Jose  de  la  Concha  captain-general  of  the 
island,  and  the  severity  of  his  sway  reminded  the  inhabitants 
of  the  iron  rule  of  Tacon.  It  was  during  his  administration 
that  Lopez  effected  his  second  landing  at  Playitas,  sixty 
miles  west  of  Havana.  Several  partial  insurrections,  which 
had  preceded  this  event,  easily  suppressed,  as  it  appears,  by 
the  Spanish  government,  but  exaggerated  in  the  accounts 
despatched  to  the  friends  of  Cuba  in  the  United  States, 
inflamed  the  zeal  of  Lopez,  and  made  him  believe  that  the 
time  for  a  successful  invasion  had  at  length  arrived.*  He 
was  so  confident,  at  one  time,  of  the  determination  and 
ability  of  the  Cubans  alone  to  secure  their  independence, 
that  he  wished  to  embark  without  any  force,  and  throw  him- 
self among  them.  It  was  this  confidence  that  led  him  to 
embark  with  only  four  hundred  ill-armed  men  on  board  the 
little  steamer  Pampero,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1851.     This 

*  "  The  general  showed  me  much  of  his  correspondence  from  the  island. 
It  represented  a  pervading  anxiety  for  his  arrival,  on  the  part  of  the  Creole 
population.  His  presence  alone,  to  head  the  insurrection,  which  would 
then  become  general,  was  all  they  called  for  ;  his  presence  and  a  supply 
of  arms,  of  which  they  were  totally  destitute.  The  risings  already  made 
were  highly  colored  in  some  of  the  communications  addressed  to  him  from 
sources  of  unquestionable  sincerity." — Louis  Schlesinger's  JSTarrative  of 
the  Expedition. 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  47 

force  consisted  mostly  of  Americans,  but  embraced  forty- 
nine  Cubans  in  its  ranks,  with  several  German  and  Hunga- 
rian officers  :  among  the  latter.  General  Pragay,  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Hungarian  revolution,  who  was  second  in 
command  to  General  Lopez  on  this  occasion. 

Many  of  the  foreign  officers  spoke  little,  if  any,  English, 
and  mutual  jealousies  and  insubordinations  soon  manifested 
themselves  in  the  little  band.  They  were  composed  of 
fierce  spirits,  and  had  come  together  without  any  previous 
drilling  or  knowledge  of  each  other.  It  was  not  the  inten- 
tion of  the  commander-in-chief  to  sail  direct  for  Cuba,  but 
to  go  to  the  neighborhood  of  St.  John's  river,  Florida, 
and  get  a  supply  of  artillery,  ammunition,  extra  arms,  etc. 
He  then  proposed  to  land  somewhere  in  the  central  depart- 
ment, where  he  thought  he  could  get  a  footing,  and  rally  a 
formidable  force,  before  the  government  troops  could  reach 
him.  But,  when  five  days  out,  Lopez  discovered  that  the 
Pampero  was  short  of  coal ;  as  no  time  could  be  spared  to 
remedy  this  deficiency,  he  resolved  to  effect  a  landing  at 
once,  and  send  back  the  Pampero  for  reinforcements  and 
supplies.  At  Key  West  he  obtained  favorable  intelligence 
from  Cuba,  which  confirmed  his  previous  plans.  He  learned 
that  a  large  portion  of  the  troops  had  been  sent  to  the  east- 
ern department ;  and  he  accordingly  steered  for  Bahia 
Honda  (deep  bay).  The  current  of  the  gulf,  acting  while 
the  machinery  of  the  boat  was  temporarily  stopped  for 
repairs,  and  the  variation  of  the  compass  in  the  neighbor- 


48  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

hood  of  so  many  arms,  caused  the  steamer  to  run  out  of  her 
course  on  the  night  of  the  10th ;  and  when  the  morn- 
ing broke,  the  invaders  found  themselves  heading  for  the 
narrow  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Havana  ! 

The  course  of  the  steamer  was  instantly  altered;  but 
all  on  board  momentarily  expected  the  apparition  of  a  war 
steamer  from  the  channel  between  the  Moro'  and  the  Punta. 
It  appeared,  afterwards,  that  the  Pampero  was  signalized  as 
a  strange  steamer,  but  not  reported  as  suspicious  until 
evening.  The  Pampero  then  made  for  the  bay  of  Cabanas  ; 
but,  just  as  she  was  turning  into  the  entrance,  a  Spanish 
frigate  and  sloop-of-war  were  seen  at  anchor,  the  first  of 
which  immediately  gave  chase,  but,  the  wind  failing,  the 
frigate  gave  it  up,  and  returned  to  the  bay  to  send  intelli- 
gence of  the  expedition  to  Havana.  The  landing  was  finally 
efi*ected  at  midnight,  between  the  11th  and  12th  of  August, 
and  the  steamer  was  immediately  sent  off  to  the  United 
States  for  further  reinforcements.  As  it  was  necessary  to 
obtain  transportation  for  the  baggage.  General  Lopez 
resolved  to  leave  Col.  Crittenden  with  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men  to  guard  it,  and  with  the  remainder  of  the 
expedition  to  push  on  to  Las  Pozas,  a  village  about  ten 
miles  distant,  whence  he  could  send  back  carts  and  horses 
to  receive  it.  Among  the  baggage  were  four  barrels  of 
powder,  two  of  cartridges,  the  officers'  efiects,  including  the 
arms  of  the  general,  and  the  flag  of  the  expedition.     From 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  49 

the  powder  and  arms  they  should  not  have  separated,  but 
have  divided  that,  against  contingency. 

In  the  mean  time,  seven  picked  companies  of  Spanish 
troops  of  the  line  had  been  landed  at  Bahia  Honda,  which 
force  was  strengthened  by  contingents  drawn  from  the 
neighborhood.  The  march  of  the  invading  band  to  Las 
Pozas  was  straggling  and  irregular.  On  reaching  the  vil- 
lage, they  found  it  deserted  by  the  inhabitants.  A  few  carts 
were  procured  and  sent  back  to  Crittenden,  that  he  might 
advance  with  the  baggage.  Lopez  here  learned  from  a 
countryman  of  the  preparations  making  to  attack  him.  It 
^vas  no  portion  of  his  plan  to  bring  the  men  into  action  with 
regular  troops,  in  their  present  undisciplined  state ;  he  pro- 
posed rather  to  take  a  strong  position  in  the  mountains,  and 
there  plant  his  standard  as  a  rallying-point,  and  await  the 
rising  of  the  Cubans,  and  the  return  of  the  Pampero  with 
reinforcements  for  active  operations. 

As  soon  as  Lopez  learned  the  news  from  Bahia  Honda, 
he  despatched  a  peremptory  order  to  Crittenden  to  hasten  up 
with  the  rear-guard,  abandoning  the  heavy  baggage,  but 
bringing  off  the  cartridges  and  papers  of  the  expedition. 

But  the  fatal  delay  of  Crittenden  separated  him  forever 
from  the  main  body,  only  a  small  detachment  of  his  comrades 
(under  Captain  Kelly)  ever  reaching  it.  The  next  day, 
while  breakfast  was  being  prepared  for  them,  the  soldiers  of 
the  expedition  were  suddenly  informed,  by  a  volley  from  one 
of  the  houses  of  the  village,  that  the  Spanish  troops  were  upon 
5 


50  HISTOKY    OF   CUBA. 

them.  They  flew  to  arms  at  once,  and  the  Cuban  company 
dislodged  the  vanguard  of  the  enemy,  who  had  fired,  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  their  captain,  Oberto,  receiving  his 
death- wound  in  the  spirited  afiair.  General  Enna,  a  brave 
officer,  in  command  of  the  Spanish  troops,  made  two  charges 
in  column  on  the  centre  of  the  invaders'  line,  but  was  re- 
pulsed by  that  deadly  fire  which  is  the  preeminent  charac- 
teristic of  American  troops.  Four  men  alone  escaped 
from  the  company  heading  the  first  column,  and  seventeen 
from  that  forming  the  advance  of  the  second  column  of  at- 
tack.    The  Spaniards  were  seized  with  a  panic,  and  fled. 

Lopez's  force  in  this  action  amounted  to  about  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  men ;  the  Spaniards  had  more  than  eight 
hundred.  The  total  loss  of  the  former,  in  killed  and 
wounded,  was  thirty-five ;  that  of  the  latter,  about  two 
hundred  men  killed,  and  a  large  number  wounded  !  The 
invaders  landed  with  about  eighty  rounds  of  cartridges 
each ;  the  Spanish  dead  supplied  them  with  about  twelve 
thousand  more ;  and  a  further  supply  was  subsequently  ob- 
tained at  Las  Frias ;  the  ammunition  left  with  Crittenden 
was  never  recovered.  In  the  battle  of  Las  Pozas,  General 
Enna's  horse  was  shot  under  him,  and  his  second  in  com- 
mand killed.  The  invaders  lost  Colonel  Downman,  a  brave 
American  officer ;  while  General  Pragay  was  wounded,  and 
afterwards  died  in  consequence.  Though  the  invaders  fired 
well  and  did  terrible  execution,  they  could  not  be  prevailed 
upon  to  charge  the  enemy,  and  gave  great  trouble  to  the 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  61 

officers  by  their  insubordination.  The  night  after  the  bat- 
tle. Captain  Kelly  came  up  with  forty  men,  and  announced 
that  the  Spanish  troops  had  succeeded  in  dividing  the  rear- 
guard, and  that  the  situation  of  Crittenden  was  unknown. 
It  was  not  until  some  days  afterwards  that  it  was  ascertained 
that  Crittenden's  party,  attempting  to  leave  the  island  in 
launches,  had  been  made  prisoners  by  a  Spanish  man-of- 
war.  They  were  taken  to  Havana,  and  brutally  shot  at  the 
castle  of  Atares. 

About  two  o'clock  on  the  14th  of  August,  the  expedition 
resumed  its  march  for  the  interior,  leaving  behind  their 
wounded,  who  were  afterwards  killed  and  mutilated  by  the 
Spaniards.  The  second  action  with  the  Spanish  troops  oc- 
curred at  the  coffee-plantation  of  Las  Frias,  General  Enna 
attacking  with  four  howitzers,  one  hundred  and  twenty  cav- 
alry, and  twelve  hundred  infantry.  The  Spanish  general 
attacked  with  his  cavalry,  but  they  were  met  by  a  deadly  fire, 
thrown  into  utter  confusion,  and  forced  to  retreat,  carrying 
off  the  general  mortally  wounded.  The  panic  of  the  caval- 
ry communicated  itself  to  the  infantry,  and  the  result  was 
a  complete  rout.  This  was  the  work  of  about  two  hundred 
muskets ;  for  many  of  Lopez's  men  had  thrown  away  their 
arms  on  the  long  and  toilsome  march. 

The  expedition,  however,  was  too  weak  to  profit  by  their 
desperate  successes,  and  had  no  means  of  following  up  these 
victories.  Plunging  into  the  mountains,  they  wandered 
about  for  days,  drenched  with  rain,  destitute  of  food  or 


52  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

proper  clothing,  until  despair  at  last  seized  tliem.  They  sep- 
arated from  each  other,  a  few  steadfast  comrades  remaining 
by  their  leader.  In  the  neighborhood  of  San  Cristoval, 
Lopez  finally  surrendered  to  a  party  of  pursuers.  He  was 
treated  with  every  indignity  by  his  captors,  though  he  sub- 
mitted to  everything  with  courage  and  serenity.  He  was 
taken  in  a  steamer  from  Mariel  to  Havana. 

Arrived  here,  he  earnestly  desired  to  obtain  an  interview 
with  Concha,  who  had  been  an  old  companion-in-arms  with 
him  in  Spain ;  not  that  he  expected  pardon  at  his  hands, 
but  hoping  to  obtain  a  change  in  the  manner  of  his  death. 
His  soul  shrank  from  the  infamous  garrotte^  and  he  aspired 
to  the  indulgence  of  the  cuatro  tiros  (four  shots).  Both 
the  interview  and  the  indulgence  were  refused,  and  he  was 
executed  on  the  first  of  September,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  in  the  Punta,  by  that  mode  of  punishment  which 
the  Spaniards  esteem  the  most  infamous  of  all.  When  he 
landed  at  Bahia  Honda,  he  stooped  and  kissed  the  earth, 
with  the  fond  salutation,  ^-  Qiterida  Cuba^^  (dear  Cuba)  ! 
and  his  last  words,  pronounced  in  a  tone  of  deep  tenderness, 
were,  ^^  Muero  par  mi  amada  Cuba'^  (I  die  for  my  be- 
loved Cuba).* 

The  remainder  of  the  prisoners  who  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  authorities  were  sent  to  the  Moorish  fortress  of  Ceu- 


*  Genei-al  Lopez  was  born  in  Venezuela,  South  America,  in  1798  ;  and 
hence,  at  the  time  of  his  execution,  must  have  been  about  fifty-two  years 
of  age.  He  early  became  an  adopted  citizen  of  Cuba,  and  espoused  one 
of  its  daughters. 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  53 

ta ;  but  Spain  seems  to  have  been  ashamed  of  the  massacre 
of  Atares,  and  has  atoned  for  the  ferocity  of  her  colonial 
officials  by  leniency  towards  the  misguided  men  of  the  ex- 
pedition, granting  them  a  pardon. 

At  present  it  may  be  said  that  "order  reigns  in  War- 
saw," and  the  island  is  comparatively  quiet  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  vast  armed  force.  To  Concha  have  succeeded 
Canedo  and  Pezuelas,  but  no  change  for  the  better  has  taken 
place  in  the  administration  of  the  island.  Rigorous  to  the 
native  population,  insolent  and  overbearing  to  foreigners, 
respecting  no  flag  and  regarding  no  law,  the  captains-general 
bear  themselves  as  though  Spain  was  still  a  first-rate  power 
as  of  yore,  terrible  on  land,  and  afloat  still  the  mistress  of 
the  sea. 

5# 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Present  condition  of  Cuba  —  Secret  treaty  with  France  and  England  — 

,     British  plan  for  the  Africanization  of  the  island  —  Sale  of  Cuba  — 

Measures  of  General  Pezuela  —  Registration  of  slaves  —  Intermarriage 

of  blacks  and  whites  —  Contradictory  proclamations  —  Spanish  duplicity 

—  A  Creole's  view  of  the  crisis  and  the  prospect. 

Cuba  is  at  present  politically  in  a  critical  and  alarming 
condition,  and  the  most  intelligent  natives  and  resident  for- 
eigners live  in  constant  dread  of  a  convulsion  more  terrific 
and  sanguinary  than  that  which  darkened  the  annals  of  St. 
Domingo.  Those  best  informed  of  the  temper,  designs  and 
position  of  Spain,  believe  in  the  existence  of  a  secret  treaty 
between  that  country,  France  and  England,  by  which  the 
two  latter  powers  guarantee  to  Spain  her  perpetual  posses- 
sion of  the  island,  on  condition  of  her  carrying  out  the 
favorite  abolition  schemes  of  the  British  government,  and 
Africanizing  the  island.  Spain,  it  is  supposed,  unable  to 
stand  alone,  and  compelled  to  elect  between  the  loss  of  her 
colony  and  subserviency  to  her  British  ally,  has  chosen  of 
the  two  evils  that  which  wounds  her  pride  the  least,  and  is 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  55 

best  calculated  to  secure  the  interests  of  monarchical  Eu- 
rope. All  the  recent  measures  of  the  Captain-general 
Pezuela  are  calculated  to  produce  the  conviction  that  the 
Africanization  of  Cuba  has  been  resolved  upon ;  and,  if  his 
alarming  proclamation  of  the  third  of  May  has  been  some- 
what modified  by  subsequent  proclamations  and  official 
declarations,  it  is  only  because  the  Spanish  government 
lacks  the  boldness  to  unmask  all  its  schemes,  while  the 
Eastern  war  prevents  France  and  Great  Britain  from  send- 
ing large  armaments  to  Cuba  to  support  it ;  and  because  the 
national  vessels  and  troops  destined  to  swell  the  government 
forces  in  the  island  have  not  all  arrived.  But  for  the  exist- 
ence of  the  war  in  the  East,  the  manifestoes  of  the  captain- 
general  would  have  been  much  more  explicit.  As  it  is, 
they  are  sufficiently  bold  and  menacing. 

A  peaceful  solution  to  the  question  of  Cuba,  by  its  sale  to 
the  United  States,  is  not  regarded  as  probable  by  the  best- 
informed  Creoles.  They  say  that,  even  if  the  queen  were 
disposed  to  sell  the  island,  it  would  be  impossible  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  the  Cortes.  The  integrity  of  the  Spanish 
domain,  including  all  the  islands,  is  protected  by  legal  en- 
actment ;  and  it  would  require  the  abrogation  of  a  funda- 
mental law  before  it  could  be  consummated.  =^  Now,  the 
Spanish  subjects  well  understand  that  they  would  not  be 
likely  to  be  gainers  by  the  sale  of  Cuba,  however  large  a 


*  The  administration  of  Bravo  Murillo  fell  in  an  attempt  of  this  kind, 
and  did  not  rise  again. 


56  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

sum  the  United  States  might  be  willing  to  pay  for  it,  while 
the  monopoly  to  trade,  the  bestowal  of  lucrative  insular 
offices  on  Spaniards  alone,  and  other  incidental  advantages, 
give  them  a  direct  interest  in  the  maintenance  of  the  pres- 
ent order  of  things.  Those  who  take  this  view  of  the 
question  say  that  if  Spain  has  not  promptly  rejected  the 
overtures  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  our  minister  at 
Madrid,  this  delay  indicates  only  a  conscious  weakness,  and 
not  any  hesitation  of  purpose.  It  is  simply  a  diplomatic 
trick  —  a  temporizing  policy.  Why,  they  ask,  if  Spain  had 
any  idea  of  parting  with  the  island,  would  she  be  making 
naval  and  military  preparations  on  a  grand  and  costly  scale, 
at  home,  while  in  the  island  she  is  making  large  levies,  and 
enrolling  colored  troops,  not  as  militia,  as  the  government 
has  falsely  given  out,  but  as  regulars  ?  We  are  reluctant 
to  abandon  the  hope  of  our  purchasing  the  island,  but  can- 
dor compels  us  to  state  the  plausible  arguments  of  those 
who  assert  that  no  success  can  possibly  attend  the  plan  for 
its  peaceable  acquisition. 

Within  a  brief  space  of  time,  the  administration  of  Gen- 
eral Pezuela  has  been  signalized  by  measures  of  great  sig- 
nificance and  importance  :  The  decree  of  the  third  of  May; 
the  order  for  the  registration  of  slaves  introduced  into  the 
island  in  violation  of  the  treaty  of  1817  ;  the  decree  free- 
ing more  than  fifteen  thousand  emancipados  in  the  space 
of  a  fortnight;  that  of  May  25th,  enrolling  and  arming 
negroes  and  mulattoes ;  the  project  for  importing  negroes 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  57 

and  mulattoes  from  Africa,  under  the  name  of  free  appren- 
tices ;  the  institution  of  free  schools  for  the  instruction  of 
the  blacks,  -while  the  whites  are  abandoned  to  their  own  re- 
sources ;  and,  finally,  the  legalization  of  the  intermarriages 
of  blacks  and  whites,  which  last  measure  has  actually  been 
carried  into  eiFect,  to  the  indignation  of  the  Creoles, —  all 
these  measures  show  the  determination  of  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment to  bring  about  the  emancipation  of  slavery,  and  the 
social  equalization  of  the  colored  and  white  population,  that 
it  may  maintain  its  grasp  upon  the  island,  under  penalty  of 
a  war  of  races,  which  could  only  terminate  in  the  extinction 
of  the  whites,  in  case  of  a  revolutionary  movement. 

The  proclamation  of  the  third  of  May,  alluded  to  above, 
and  disclosing  some  of  the  abolition  plans  of  the  govern- 
ment, produced  a  startling  sensation.  In  it  the  captain- 
general  said :  "  It  is  time  for  the  planter  to  substitute 
for  the  rapid  but  delusive  advantages  derived  from  the  sale 
of  human  flesh,  safer  profits,  more  in  harmony  with  civiliza- 
tion, religion  and  morals  ;  "  and  that  '•  the  time  had  come 
to  make  the  life  of  the  slave  sweeter  than  that  of  the  white 
man  who  labors  under  another  name  in  Europe."  The 
proclamation,  coupled  with  that  conferring  exclusive  ed- 
ucational advantages  on  colored  persons,  roused  even  the 
Spaniards ;  some  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential  of 
whom  held  secret  meetings  to  discuss  the  measures  to  be 
adopted  in  such  a  crisis,  in  which  it  was  resolved  to  with- 
hold all  active  aid  from  the  government,  some  going  so  fir 


59  HISTORY   OP  CUBA. 

as  to  advocate  the  making  of  common  cause  with  the 
Creoles.  The  mere  hint  of  a  fusion  between  the  Spaniards 
and  Creoles,  whom  it  has  been  the  policy  of  the  colonial 
government  to  alienate  from  each  other,  was  sufficient  to  ex- 
cite the  fears  of  the  captain-general ;  and  accordmgly,  on  the 
31st  of  May,  he  published  a  sort  of  explanatory  manifesto, 
designed  to  allay  the  alarm  of  the  Spaniards,  and  conflict- 
ing, in  several  points,  with  that  of  the  3d.  '^Her^  Majes- 
ty's government,"  says  the  document  of  the  31st,  '-'  is  well 
aware  that  the  unhappy  race  (the  Africans),  once  placed 
among  civilized  men,  and  protected  by  the  religion  and  the 
great  laws  of  our  ancestors,  is,  in  its  so-called  slavery,  a 
thousand  times  happier  than  other  European  classes,  whose 
liberty  is  only  nominal."  If  this  assertion  were  true,  what 
becomes  of  the  famous  declaration,  in  the  former  proclama- 
tion, that  the  time  had  arrived  to  make  the  life  of  the  slave 
happier  than  of  the  white  European  laborer  ?  If  this  asser- 
tion were  true,  that  "  good  time  "  had  not  only  arrived,  but 
passed  away,  and  his  measures  for  the  improvement  of  the 
involuntary  bondmen  were  actually  supererogatory.  The 
owners  of  slaves  are,  moreover,  assured  that  they  shall  not 
be  disturbed  in  the  possession  of  their  ''  legitimate  prop- 
erty," and  that  the  government  will  conciliate  a  due  regard 
for  such  property  ''with  the  sacred  fulfilment  of  treaties." 
It  is  very  evident  that  the  Creoles  are  doomed  to  be  the 
victims  of  Spanish  duplicity.  It  is  notorious  that  many 
thousands  of  slaves  have  been  introduced  into  the  island,  for 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  59 

a  series  of  years,  with  the  connivance  of  the  government, 
when  they  had  it  in  their  power,  at  any  time,  to  stop  the 
traflfic  altogether.  The  vigilance  of  the  British  cruisers  was 
baffled  by  the  assurance  that  the  Africans  thus  brought  over 
were  apprentices,  Spain  never  hesitating  to  deceive  an  ally ; 
and  now,  when  compelled  to  keep  faith,  in  a  desperate 
emergency,  she  betrays  her  own  subjects,  and  throws  the 
penalty  of  her  own  bad  faith  on  them. 

A  gentleman  residing  in  Cuba  writes:  "No  one  can  be 
here,  and  watch  the  progress  of  things,  without  being  con- 
vinced that  the  ultimate  object  is  the  emancipation  of  the 
slaves  of  the  island  transported  subsequent  to  the  treaty  of 
1820,  which  will  comprise  four-fifths  of  the  whole  number ; 
and  no  one  who  is  an  attentive  observer,  and  with  his  ears 
open,  but  must  be  satisfied  that  there  is  some  other  powerful 
influence  brought  to  bear  on  the  subject  besides  Spain. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  late  order  for  the  registration  of  the 
slaves.  The  British  consul  openly  says  that  the  British 
government  have  been,  for  a  long  time,  urging  the  measure. 
But  it  is  not  only  in  this,  but  in  every  other  step  taken, 
that  the  British  finger  is  constantly  seen.  A  thousand  cor- 
roborative circumstances  could  be  cited.  Cuba  is  to-day 
indebted  to  Russia  for  being  free  from  this  calamity.  But 
for  the  emperor's  obstinacy,  there  would  have  been  an  Eng- 
lish and  French  fleet  that  would  have  enabled  them  to  carry 
out  all  the  measures  they  have  in  contemplation.'' 

With  relation  to  the  intermarriage  of  blacks  and  whites. 


60  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

our  kiformant  says,  ''  Many  marriages  have  been  performed 
since  the  date  of  the  circular," — that  of  the  Bishop  of 
Havana  to  the  curates  of  the  island,  by  the  authority  of 
the  captain-general. 

''  The  captain-general,"  says  the  same  authority,  "  is 
now  exerting  his  influence  for  the  admission  of  blacks  into 
the  university,  to  prepare  them  for  clerical  orders.  Should 
this  system  be  adopted,  I  fear  it  will  lead  to  bad  conse- 
quences. It  will,  of  course,  be  strenuously  opposed.  The 
indignation  of  the  Creoles  has  been  difficult  to  restrain, — 
at  which  you  cannot  be  surprised,  when  their  daughters, 
wives  and  sisters,  are  daily  insulted,  particularly  by  those 
in  uniform.  I  fear  a  collision  may  take  place.  If  once 
commenced,  it  will  be  terrific." 

The  decree  authorizing  the  celebration  of  marriages 
between  blacks  and  whites  has  probably  produced  more 
indignation  among  the  Creoles  than  any  other  official  acts 
of  the  captain-general.  It  was  directed  to  the  bishop  in 
the  form  of  a  cu'cular,  and  issued  on  the  22d  of  May.  On 
the  29th  of  the  same  month,  the  bishop  transmitted  copies 
of  it  to  all  the  curates  within  his  jurisdiction ;  and,  as  we 
have  seen,  many  of  these  incongruous  marriages  have  been 
already  solemnized.  Notwithstanding  these  notorious  and 
well-authenticated  facts,  the  official  organ  of  the  govern- 
ment, the  Diario  de  la  Marina,  had  the  effi'ontery  to 
publish  a  denial  of  the  transaction,  asserting  it  to  be  mere 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  61 

idle  gossip,  without  the  slightest  foundation,  and  ridiculing 
the  idea  in  a  tone  of  levity  and  persiflage. 

This  may  teach  us  how  little  dependence  is  to  be  placed 
on  the  declarations  of  the  Spanish  officials ;  and  we  shall 
be  prepared  to  receive  with  incredulity  the  denial,  in  the 
name  of  the  queen,  of  the  existence  of  a  treaty  with  Eng- 
land, having  tor  its  base  the  abolition  of  slavery,  as  a  reward 
for  British  aid  in  preserving  Cuba  to  Spain.  The  captain- 
general  says  that  she  relies  not  on  foreign  aid  to  maintain 
her  rights,  but  on  her  powerful  ''navy  and  disciplined 
army ;  on  the  loyalty  of  the  very  immense  {inmensisiind) 
majority  of  her  vigorous  native  citizens  (Creoles)  ;  on  the 
strength  imparted  to  the  good  by  the  defence  of  their 
hearths,  their  laws  and  their  God ;  and  on  the  hurricanes 
and  yellow  fever  for  the  enemy." 

"  Here,"  writes  a  Cuban  gentleman,  commenting  on  the 
above  declaration,  "  we  must  make  a  pause,  and  remark,  en 
jjassant^  that  the  name  of  her  majesty  thus  invoked,  far 
from  giving  force  to  the  denial,  weakens  it  greatly  ;  for  we 
all  know  the  value  of  the  royal  word,  particularly  that  of 
her  majesty  Isabella  II.  In  her  name  a  full  pardon  was 
offered  to  Armenteros  and  his  associates,  who  raised  the  cry 
of  independence  in  Trinidad,  and  this  document  effected  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  designed.  Armenteros  and  the 
others,  who  placed  reliance  in  the  royal  word,  were,  some 
of  them,  shot,  and  the  rest  deported  to  African  dungeons. 
No  reliance  can  be  placed  on  the  loyalty  of  the  vast  major- 
6 


62  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

ity  of  the  vigorous  citizens  (unless  the  negroes  alone  are 
comprehended  under  this  phrase),  when  the  whites  are 
deprived  of  arms  for  the  defence  of  their  country,  and  men 
are  fined  five  pesos  for  carrying  canes  of  a  larger  size  than 
can  be  readily  introduced  into  a  gun-barrel,  and  free  people 
of  color  are  alone  admitted  into  the  ranks  of  the  troops. 
The  Cubans  are  not  relied  upon,  since,  to  prevent  their  jom- 
ing  Lopez,  all  the  roads  were  blockaded,  and  everybody 
found  on  them  shot ;  and  the  immense  number  of  exiles 
does  not  prove  the  majority  which  favors  the  government  to 
be  so  prodigious. 

''  The  value  of  the  powerful  navy  and  well-trained  army 
of  the  island  was  shown  in  the  landing  of  Lopez,  and  the 
victories  that  three  hundred  men  constantly  obtained  over 
an  army  of  seven  thousand,  dispersing  only  when  ammuni- 
tion failed  them.  Hurricanes  and  the  yellow  fever  are  most 
melancholy  arms  of  defence ;  and,  if  they  only  injured  the 
enemy,  the  Spaniards,  who  are  as  much  exposed  as  other 
Europeans  to  the  fatal  influence,  would  be  the  true  ene- 
mies of  Cuba." 

The  following  remarks  on  the  present  condition  and  pros- 
pects of  the  island  are  translated  from  a  letter  written  by  an 
intelligent  Creole,  thoroughly  conversant  with  its  affairs : 

"  The  whites  tremble  for  their  existence  and  property; 
no  one  thinks  himself  secure ;  confidence  has  ceased,  and 
with  it  credit ;  capitalists  have  withdrawn  their  money  from 
circulation ;  the  banks  of  deposit  have  suspended  their  dis- 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  63 

counts;  premiums  have  reached  a  fabulous  point  for  the 
best  of  paper.  The  government  was  not  ignorant  that  this 
would  be  the  result,  and  prepared  to  get  out  of  the  mo- 
mentary crisis  by  the  project  of  a  bank,*  published  in  the 
Gaceta  of  the  4th  (May)  ;  but  the  most  needy  class,  in  the 
present  embarrassed  circumstances,  is  that  of  the  planters ; 
and  it  is  necessary,  to  enable  them  to  fulfil  their  engage- 
ments, that  their  notes  should  be  made  payable  at  the  end 
of  the  year, —  that  is,  from  harvest  to  harvest, —  and  not 
at  the  end  of  six  months,  as  provided  for  in  the  regulations. 
But  it  matters  not ;  we  are  pursuing  the  path  which  will 
precipitate  us  into  the  abyss,  if  instantaneous  and  efficacious 
help  does  not  come  to  save  the  island  from  the  imminent 
ruin  which  threatens  it. 

' '  The  cause  of  the  liberty  of  nations  has  always  perished 
in  its  cradle,  because  its  defenders  have  never  sought  to 
deviate  from  legal  paths, —  because  they  have  followed  the 
principles  sanctioned  by  the  laws  of  nations  ;  while  despots, 
always  the  first  to  exact  obedience  to  them  when  it  suited 
their  convenience,  have  been  the  first  to  infringe  them  when 
they  came  into  collision  with  their  interests.  Their  alli- 
ances to  suppress  liberty  are  called  holy,  and  the  crimes 
they  commit  by  invading  foreign  territories,  and  summoning 
foreign  troops  to  their  aid  to  oppress  their  own  vassals,  are 
sacred  duties,  compliances  with  secret  compacts ;  and,  if  the 

*  Pezuela's  bank  is  to  have  a  capital  of  two  million  dollars  ;  the  gov- 
ernment to  be  a  shareholder  for  half  a  million.  The  effect  of  such  an 
institution  would  be  to  drain  the  island  of  specie. 


64  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

congresses,  parliaments  and  Cortes  of  other  nations,  raise 
the  crj  to  Heaven,  they  answer,  the  government  has  pro- 
tested,—  acts  have  been  performed  without  their  sanction. — 
there  is  no  remedy, —  they  are  acts  accomplished. 

"An  act  accomplished  will  shortly  be  the  abolition  of 
slavery  in  Cuba  ;  and  the  tardy  intervention  of  the  United 
States  will  only  have  taken  place  when  its  brilliant  constel- 
lation lights  up  the  vast  sepulchre  which  will  cover  the 
bodies  of  her  sons,  sacrificed  to  the  black  race  as  a  reward 
for  their  sympathies  with  American  institutions,  and  the 
vast  carnage  it  will  cost  to  punish  the  African  victors. 
What  can  be  done  to-day  without  great  sacrifices  to  help 
the  Cubans,  to-morrow  cannot  be  achieved  without  the 
efiiision  of  rivers  of  blood,  and  when  the  few  surviving 
Cubans  will  curse  an  intervention  which,  deaf  to  their  cries, 
will  only  be  produced  by  the  cold  calculations  of  egotism. 
Then  the  struggle  will  not  be  with  the  Spaniards  alone. 
The  latter  will  now  accede  to  all  the  claims  of  the  cabinet 
at  "Washington,  by  the  advice  of  the  ambassadors  of  France 
and  England,  to  advance,  meanwhile,  with  surer  step  to 
the  end, —  to  give  time  for  the  solution  of  the  Eastern  ques- 
tion, and  for  France  and  England  to  send  their  squadrons 
into  these  waters.  Well  may  they  deny  the  existence  of 
secret  treaties ;  this  is  very  easy  for  kings,  as  it  will  be 
when  the  case  of  the  present  treaty  comes  up,  asserting  that 
the  treaty  was  posterior  to  their  negative,  or  refusing  expla- 
nations as  inconsistent  with  their  dignity.     But  we  witness 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  65 

the  realization  of  our  fears ;  we  see  the  Spanish  government 
imperturbably  setting  on  foot  plans  which  were  thought  to 
be  the  delirium  of  excited  imaginations ;  doing  at  once  what 
promised  to  be  a  gradual  work;  and  hear  it  declared,  by  dis- 
tinguished persons,  who  possess  the  confidence  of  General 
Pezuela,  that  the  existence  of  the  treaty  is  certain,  and  that 
the  United  States  will  be  told  that  they  should  have 
accepted  the  offer  made  to  become  a  party  to  it,  in  which 
case  the  other  two  powers  could  not  have  adopted  the 
abolition  scheme.  But,  supposing  this  treaty  to  have  no 
existence,  the  fact  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  is  no  less  cer- 
tain. It  is  only  necessary  to  read  the  proclamation  of  the 
captain-general,  if  the  last  acts  of  the  government  be  not 
sufficiently  convincing.  The  result  to  the  island  of  Cuba 
and  to  the  United  States  is  the  same,  either  -^ay.  If  the 
latter  do  not  hasten  to  avert  the  blow,  they  will  soon  find  it 
impossible  to  remedy  the  evil.  In  the  island  there  is  not  a 
reflecting  man, —  foreigner  or  native,  Creole  or  European, — 
who  does  not  tremble  for  the  future  that  awaits  us,  at  a 
period  certainly  not  far  remote." 
6* 


CHAPTER    V. 

Geographical  position  of  the  island — Its  size  —  The  climate  —  Advice  to 
invalids  —  Glance  at  the  principal  cities  —  Matanzas  —  Puerto  Principe 
—  Santiago  de  Cuba  —  Trinidad  —  The  writer's  first  view  of  Havana  — 
Importance  of  the  capital  —  Its  literary  institutions — Restriction  on 
Cuban  youths  and  education  —  Glance  at  the  city  streets  —  Style  of 
architecture  —  Domestic  arrangements  of  town  houses  —  A  word  about 
Cuban  ladies  —  Small  feet  —  Grace  of  manners  and  general  character- 
istics. 

Havinq  thus  briefly  glanced  at  the  political  story  of 
Cuba,  let  us  now  pass  to  a  consideration  of  such  peculiarities 
of  climate,  soil  and  population,  as  would  naturally  interest  a 
stranger  on  visiting  the  island.  The  form,  geographically 
speaking,  of  Cuba,  is  quite  irregular,  and  resembles  the 
blade  of  a  Turkish  scimeter  slightly  curved  back,  or  ap- 
proaching the  form  of  a  long,  narrow  crescent.  It  stretches 
away  in  this  shape  from  east  to  west,  throwing  its  western 
end  into  a  curve,  as  if  to  form  an  impregnable  barrier  to 
the  outlet  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  as  if,  at  some  ancient 
period,  it  had  formed  a  part  of  the  American  continent,  and 
had  been  severed  on  its  north  side  from  the  Florida  penin- 
sula by  the  wearing  of  the  Gulf-stream,  and  from  Yucatan, 
on  its  south-western  point,  by  a  current  setting  into  the  gulf. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  67 

Its  political  position  all  concede  to  be  of  the  most  vital 
importance  to  the  United  States ;  and  this  will  be  apparent 
to  any  one,  from  the  slightest  inspection  of  the  map. 

It  is  the  most  westerly  of  the  West  Indian  isles,  and, 
compared  with  the  rest,  has  nearly  twice  as  much  superficial 
extent  of  territory.  Its  greatest  extent,  from  east  to  west,  is 
about  six  hundred  miles ;  its  narrowest  part,  twenty-two 
miles.  The  circumference  is  about  two  thousand  miles,  con- 
taining some  thirty- two  thousand  square  miles.*  The  nar- 
row form  of  the  island,  and  the  Cordillera  chain  of  moun- 
tains, which  divides  it  throughout  its  whole  length,  leave  a 
very  limited  course  for  its  rivers  and  streams ;  and  conse- 
quently these  in  the  rainy  season  become  torrents,  and 
during  the  rest  of  the  year  are  nearly  dried  up.  Those 
that  sustain  themselves  throughout  the  year  are  well  stocked 
with  delicate  and  finely-flavored  fish. 

Probably  no  place  on  the  earth  has  a  finer  or  more  desir- 
able climate  than  has  the  main  portion  of  Cuba :  f  with 
the  clear  atmosphere  of  the  low  latitudes,  no  mist,  the  sun 
seldom  obscured,  and  the  appearance  of  the  stars  and 
sky  at  night  far  brighter  and  more  beautiful  than  at  the 
north. t     The  atmosphere  does  not  seem  to  lose  its  transpar- 

*  Humboldt's  calculation  makes  it  contain  forty-tliree  thousand,  three 
hundred  and  eighty  square  miles  ;  but  other  estimates  approximate  more 
nearly  our  own  statement. 

t  According  to  Dr.  Finlay,  a  resident  physician  on  the  island,  its  hottest 
months  are  July  and  August,  when  the  mean  temperature  is  from  80°  to 
83"  Fahrenheit; 

t  "  The  nights  are  very  dark,  but  the  darkness  is  as  if  transparent ;  the 
air  is  not  felt.  There  could  not  be  more  beautiful  nights  in  Paradise."  — 
Miss  Bremer^s  Letters. 


6»  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

ency  with  the  departure  of  day.  Sunset  is  ever  remarkable 
for  its  soft,  mellow  beauty  here,  and  the  long  twilight  that 
follows  it.  For  many  years  the  island  has  been  the  resort 
of  the  northern  invalid  in  search  of  health,  especially  of 
those  laboring  under  pulmonary  affections  ;  the  soft,  soothing 
power  of  the  climate  having  a  singularly  healing  influence, 
as  exercised  in  the  balmy  trade- winds.*  The  climate  so 
uniformly  soft  and  mild,  the  vegetation  so  thriving  and 
beautiful,  the  fruits  so  delicious  and  abundant,  seem  to  give 
it  a  character  almost  akin  to  that  we  have  seen  described  in 
tales  of  fairy  land. 

The  declining  health  of  a  beloved  companion  was  the 
motive  which  induced  the  author  of  these  pages  to  visit  the 
delightful  climate  of  Cuba,  with  the  hope  that  its  genial 
and  kindly  influence  might  revive  her  physical  powers  ;  nor 
were  these  hopes  disappointed;  for,  transplanted  from  the 
rough  climate  of  our  own  New  England,  immediate  and 
permanent  improvement  was  visible.  To  persons  in  the 
early  stages  of  pulmonary  complaints  the  West  Indies  hold 
forth  great  promise  of  relief;  and,  at  the  period  when  inva- 
lid New  Englanders  most  require  to  avoid  their  own  homes, 
namely,  during  the  prevailing  east  winds  of  April,  May  and 
June,  the  island  of  Cuba  is  in  the  glory  of  high  summer, 
and  enjoying  the  healthiest  period  of  its  yearly  returns. 
After  the  early  part  of  June,  the  unacclimated  would  do 

*  When  consumption  originates  in  Cuba,  it  runs  its  course  so  rapidly 
that  there  is,  perhaps,  no  wonder  the  Creoles  should  deem  it,  as  they  uni- 
versally do,  to  be  contagious. 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  69 

•well  to  take  passage  up  the  gulf  to  New  Orleans,  and  come 
gradually  north  with  the  advancing  season.  From  the 
proximity  of  Cuba  in  the  north-western  parts  to  our  own 
continent,  the  climate  is  variable,  and  a  few  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the"  sea  ice  is  sometimes  formed,  but  snow 
never  falls  upon  the  island,  though  it  is  occasionally  visited 
in  this  region  by  hail  storms.  In  the  cities  and  near  the 
swamps,  the  yellow  fever,  that  scourge  of  all  hot  climates, 
prevails  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  last  of  October ; 
but  in  the  interior  of  the  island,  where  the  visitor  is  at  a 
wholesome  distance  from  humidity  and  stagnant  water,  it  is 
no  more  unhealthy  than  our  own  cities  in  summer.  It  is 
doubtful  if  Havana,  even  in  the  fever  season,  is  as  unhealthy 
as  New  Orleans  during  the  same  period  of  the  year. 

The  principal  cities  of  the  island  are  Havana,  with  a 
population  of  about  two  hundred  thousand ;  Matanzas, 
twenty-five  thousand ;  Puerto  Principe,  fourteen  thousand ; 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  thirty  thousand ;  Trinidad,  thirteen  thou- 
sand ;  St.  Salvador,  eight  thousand ;  Manzanilla,  three 
thousand;  Cardenas,  Nuevitas,  Sagua  la  Grande,  Mariel, 
etc.  etc.  Cuba  abounds  in  fine  large  harbors ;  those  of 
Havana,  Niepe  and  Nuevitas,  are  among  the  best.  The  bay 
of  Matanzas  is  also  capacious ;  Cardenas  and  the  roadstead 
of  Sagua  la  Grande  have  plenty  of  water  for  brigs  and 
schooners.     Matanzas,^  though  second  to  Puerto  Principe 

*  The  first  lines  of  this  city  were  traced  on  Saturday,  the  10th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1693,  by  Senor  Manzaneda,  under  whose  government  it  was  founded. 
It  was  named  San  Carlos  Alcazar  de  Matanzas  ;  the  last  word,  that  by 
which  it  is  known,  signifying  the  slaughter  of  a  battle-field. 


70  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

in  point  of  inhabitants,  yet  stands  next  to  Havana  in  com- 
mercial importance,  and  is  said  to  be  much  healthier  than 
the  capital.  It  is  located  in  a  valley  in  one  of  the  most 
fertile  portions  of  the  isiand,  the  city  extending  from  the 
flat  sea-shore  up  to  the  picturesque  and  verdant  heights  by 
which  the  town  is  surrounded  in  the  form  of  an  amphithea- 
tre. The  fortifications  are  of  rather  a  meagre  character. 
The  custom-house  is  the  most  prominent  building  which 
strikes  the  eye  on  approaching  the  city  by  water,  and  is  an 
elegant  structure  of  stone,  but  one  story  high,  built  at  the 
early  part  of  the  present  century.  On  the  heights  above 
the  city,  the  inhabitants  have  planted  their  country  seats, 
and  from  the  bay  the  whole  scene  is  most  delightfully  pic- 
turesque. There  are  two  fine  churches  in  Matanzas,  and  a 
second-class  theatre,  cockpit,  etc.  Statistics  show  the  cus- 
tom-house receipts  of  the  port  to  exceed  the  large  sum  of  a 
million  and  a  half  dollars  annually.  Besides  the  railroad 
leading  to  Havana,  there  is  another  leading  to  the  interior 
and  bearing  southward,  of  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  in 
length.  On  all  the  Cuban  railroads  you  ride  in  American- 
built  cars,  drawn  by  American-built  engines,  and  conducted 
by  American  engineers.  The  back  country  from  Matanzas 
is  rich  in  sugar  and  cofiee  plantations. 

Puerto  Principe  is  the  capital  of  the  central  department 
of  the  island,  and  is  situated  in  the  interior.  The  trade  of 
the  place,  from  the  want  of  water-carriage,  is  inconsiderable; 
and  bears  no  proportion  to  the  number  of  inhabitants.    What 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  71 

over  portion  of  the  produce  of  Puerto  Principe  and  its  im- 
mediate neighborhood  is  exported,  must  find  its  way  first  to 
Nuevitas,  twelve  and  a  half  leagues  ^distant,  from  whence 
it  is  shipped,  and  from  whence  it  receives  in  return  its  foreign 
supplies.  It  is  situated  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from 
Havana.  Its  original  locality,  when  founded  by  Velasquez, 
was  Nuevitas,  but  the  inhabitants,  when  the  place  was 
feeble  in  numbers  and  strength,  were  forced  to  remove  to 
this  distance  inland,  to  avoid  the  fierce  incursions  of  the 
Buccaneers,  who  thronged  the  coast. 

Santiago  de  Cuba  has  a  noble  harbor,  and  is  defended  by 
a  miniature  Moro  Castle,  being  a  well-planned  fortress  after 
the  same  style,  and  known  as  El  Moro.  This  city  was 
founded  in  1512,  and  is  the  capital  of  the  eastern  depart- 
ment of  the  island,  but  has  at  various  times  sufiered  severely 
from  earthquakes,  and  within  a  couple  of  years  was  visited 
by  the  cholera,  which  swept  ofi'some  five  or  six  thousand  of  its 
population  in  about  the  same  number  of  weeks.  Santiago, 
though  it  now  presents  many  features  of  decay,  and  its 
cathedral  is  closed  for  fear  of  disaster  occurring  if  it  should 
be  occupied,  is  yet  the  third  city  on  the  island  in  a  commer- 
cial point  of  view.  The  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
city  being  mountainous  and  somewhat  sterile,  produces  little 
sugar,  but  the  many  fine  cofiee  estates,  and  several  vast  cop- 
per mines  of  uncomputed  extent  and  value,  which  have 
been  worked  by  Enghsh  companies,  give  it  much  import- 
ance. It  is  two  hundred  and  thirty  leagues  from  Havana, 
on  the  south  coast. 


72  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

Trinidad,  situated  about  a  league  from  Casilda,  on  the 
south  coast,  and  ninety  miles  from  Havana,  is  probably 
one  of  the  healthiest  and  pleasantest  locations  for  invalids 
on  the  island.  It  lies  at  the  base  of  a  ridge  of  mountains 
that  protect  it  from  the  north  wind,  and  is  free  from  all 
humidity,  with  that  great  blessing,  good  water,  at  hand,  an 
article  which  unfortunately  is  very  scarce  in  Cuba. 

Our  first  view  of  Moro  Castle  was  gained  from  the  quar- 
ter-deck, after  a  fifteen  days'  voyage ;  it  was  just  as  the  sun 
was  dipping  into  the  sea,  too  late  for  us  to  enter  the  harbor, 
for  the  rules  of  the  port  are  rigorously  observed,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  stand  ofi"  and  on  through  the  night.     At 
early  morning  our  jack  was  set  at  the  fore  as  a  signal  for  a 
pilot,  and  at  noon  we  had  answered  the  rough  peremptory 
hail  from  the  castle,  and  dropped  anchor  in  the  safe  and 
beautiful  harbor  of  the  capital.     The  scene  was  absorbingly 
interesting  to  a  stranger.     Around  us  floated  the  flags  of 
many  nations,  conspicuous  among  which  were  the  gallant 
stars  and  stripes.     On  the  one  side  lay  the  city,  on  a  low, 
level  plain,  while  the  hills  that  make  the  opposite  side  of 
the  harbor  presented  a  beautiful  picture  of  the  soft  green 
sward  and  the  luxuriant  verdure  that  forms  the  constant 
garb  of  the  tropics. 

As  Paris  is  said  to  be  France,  so  is  Havana  Cuba,  and  its 
history  embraces  in  no  small  degree  that  of  all  the  island, 
being  the  centre  of  its  talent,  wealth  and  population.  Every 
visible  circumstance  proclaims  the  great  importance  of  the 


HISTORY    or    CUBA.  73 

city,  even  to  the  most  casual  observer.  Moro  Castle  =*  frown- 
ing over  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  harbor,  the  strong 
battery  answering  to  it  on  the  opposite  point,  and  known  as 
La  Punta,  the  long  range  of  cannon  and  barracks  on  the 
city  side,  the  powerful  and  massive  fortress  of  the  Cabanas  f 
crowning  the  hill  behind  the  Moro,  all  speak  unitedly  of  the 
immense  importance  of  the  place.  Havana  is  the  heart  of 
Cuba,  and  will  never  be  yielded  unless  the  whole  island  be 
given  up ;  indeed,  the  possessors  of  this  strong-hold  command 
the  whole  Spanish  West  Indies.  The  bay,  shaped  like  an 
outspread  hand,  the  wrist  for  the  entrance,  is  populous  with 
the  ships  of  all  nations, J  and  the  city,  with  its  200,000 
inhabitants,  is  a  depot  of  wealth  and  luxury.  With  an 
enormous  extent  of  public  buildings,  cathedrals,  antique 
and  venerable  churches  and  convents,  with  the  palaces  of 
nobles  and  private  gentlemen  of  wealth,  all  render  this  cap- 
ital of  Cuba  probably  the  richest  place  for  its  number  of 
square  rods  in  the  world. 

Beside  the  Royal  University  of  Havana,  a  medical  and 
law  school,  and  chairs  on  all  the  natural  sciences,  it  contains 
many  other  institutions  of  learning.    It  is  true  that,  in  spite 


*  Moro  Castle  was  first  built  in  1G33;  the  present  structure  was  erected 
on  the  ruins  of  the  first,  destroyed  by  the  English  in  1762. 

t  Built  by  Charles  III.,  and  said  to  have  cost  the  sum  of  ijf' 7,000,000. 
According  to  Rev.  L.  L.  Allen's  lecture  on  Cuba,  it  was  more  than  forty 
years  in  iDuilding. 

t  The  port  of  Havana  is  one  of  the  Ixst  harbors  in  the  world.  It  has 
a  very  narrow  entrance,  but  spreads  immediately  into  a  vast  basin, 
embracing  the  whole  city,  and  large  enough  to  hold  a  thousand  ships  of 
war.  —  Alexander  H.  Everett 

7 


74  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

of  their  liberal  purpose  and  capability,  there  is  a  blight,  as 
it  were,  hanging  over  them  all.  Pupils  enlist  cautiously, 
suffer  undue  restraint,  and  in  spite  of  themselves  seem  to 
feel  that  there  is  an  unseen  influence  at  work  against  the 
spirit  of  these  advantages.  Among  the  schools  are  a  Royal 
Seminary  for  girls,  a  free  school  of  sculpture  and  painting. 
a  mercantile  school,  also  free,  with  many  private  institutions 
of  learning,  of  course  not  to  be  compared  in  ability  or  gen- 
eral advantages  to  like  institutions  with  us.  There  is  a  fine 
museum  of  Natural  History,  and  just  outside  the  city  walls 
a  very  extensive  botanical  garden.  No  one,  even  among 
the  islanders,  who  would  be  supposed  to  feel  the  most  pride 
in  the  subject,  will  for  a  moment  deny,  however,  that  the 
means  for  education  are  very  limited  in  Cuba.  An  evi- 
dence of  this  is  perceptibly  evinced  by  the  fact  that  the 
sons  of  the  planters  are  almost  universally  sent  abroad, 
mostly  to  this  country,  for  educational  purposes.  An  order 
was  not  long  since  promulgated,  by  direction  of  the  home 
government,  in  which  the  inhabitants  are  forbidden  to  send 
their  children  to  the  United  States,  for  the  purpose  of  edu- 
cation.    A  bold,  decided  order. 

Of  course  the  reason  for  this  is  quite  apparent,  and  is 
openly  acknowledged  in  Havana,  viz:  —  that  these  youths, 
during  their  residence  here,  adopt  liberal  ideas  and  views  of 
our  republican  policy,  which  become  fixed  principles  with 
them ;  nor  is  there  any  doubt  of  this  being  the  case,  for 
such  students  as  have  thus  returned,  unhesitatingly  (among 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  75 

friends)  avow  their  sentiments,  and  most  ardently  express  a 
hope  for  Cuban  independence  ;  and  this  class,  too,  upon  the 
island  are  far  more  numerous  than  might  at  first  be  supposed. 
Those  who  have  been  educated  in  France,  Germany,  and 
England,  seem  at  once  to  imbibe  the  spirit  of  those  j-ouths 
wlio  have  returned  from  the  United  States,  and  long  before 
there  was  any  open  demonstration  relative  to  the  first  Lopez 
expedition,  these  sons  of  the  planters  had  formed  themselves 
into  a  secret  society,  which  is  doubtless  still  sustained,  with 
the  avowed  purpose  of  exercising  its  ability  and  means  to 
free  Cuba,  sooner  or  later,  from  the  Spanish  yoke. 

The  city  of  Havana  is  surrounded  by  a  high  wall  and 
ditch,  and  its  gates  are  always  strictly  guarded  by  soldiery, 
no  stranger  being  permitted  to  pass  unchallenged.  The 
streets,  which  are  extremely  narrow,  are  all  Macadamized, 
and  cross  each  other  ot  right  angles,  like  those  of  Phila- 
delphia and  some  other  American  cities.  There  are  no  side- 
walks, unless  a  narrow  line  of  flag-stones  which  are  level 
with  the  surface  of  the  street  may  be  so  called.  Indeed,  the 
people  have  little  use  for  sidewalks,  for  they  drive  almost 
universally  about  town  in  place  of  walking,  being  thus 
borne  about  in  that  peculiar  vehicle,  a  volante.  A  Avoman 
of  respectability  is  never  seen  on  foot  in  the  streets,  and 
this  remark,  as  singular  as  it  may  sound  to  our  Broad ^vay 
and  Washington-street  belles,  is  applicable  even  to  the  hum- 
blest classes ;  unless,  indeed,  it  be  the  fruit  women  from  the 
country,  with  their  baskets  richly  laden  upon  their  heads, 


76  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

while  thcj  cry  the  names  of  their  tempting  burdens  in  the 
long  drawling  Spanish  style. 

The  architecture  of  the  city  houses  is  exceedingly  heavy, 
giving  to  them  an  appearance  of  great  age.  They  are  con- 
structed so  as  almost  universally  to  form  squares  in  their 
centres,  which  constitutes  the  only  yard  which  the  house 
can  have,  and  upon  which  the  lofty  arches  of  the  corridor 
look  down.  The  lower  story  is  always  occupied  as  store- 
room, kitchen,  and  stable,  (think  of  a  suite  of  draAving-rooms 
over  a  stable  !)  while  the  universal  volante  blocks  up  in 
part  the  only  entrance  to  the  house.  From  this  inner 
court-yard  a  wide  flight  of  steps  leads  to  the  second  story, 
from  the  corridor  of  which  all  the  rooms  open,  giving  them 
an  opening  front  and  rear  on  two  sides  at  least.  As  pecu- 
liar as  this  mode  of  building  may  seem,  it  is  nevertheless 
well  adapted  to  the  climate,  and  one  becomes  exceedingly 
well  satisfied  with  the  arrangement. 

An  air  of  rude  grandeur  reigns  over  all  the  structure, 
the  architecture  being  mainly  Gothic  and  Saracenic.  The 
rooms  are  all  lofty,  and  the  floors  are  stuccoed  or  tiled, 
while  the  walls  and  ceilings  are  frequently  ornamented  in 
fresco,  the  excellence  of  the  workmanship  of  course  varying 
in  accordance  with  the  owner's  or  occupant's  means,  and 
his  ability  to  procure  an  artist  of  high  or  mediocre  talent. 
But  the  most  striking  peculiarity  of  the  town  house  in 
Cuba,  is  the  great  care  taken  to  render  it  safe  ei gainst 
assault.     Every  man's  house  is  literally  his  castle  here, 


IIISTOKY   OF   CUBA.  77 

each  accessible  window  being  barricaded  with  iron  bars, 
while  large  massive  folding  doors  secure  the  entrance  to  the 
house,  being  bullet  proof  and  of  immense  strength.  No 
carpets  are  seen  here,  and  from  the  neighboring  Isle  of 
Pines,  which  lies  off  the  southern  shore  of  Cuba,  a  thick 
slate  is  found,  also  marble  and  jasper  of  various  colors, 
which  are  cut  in  squares,  and  form  the  general  material  for 
floors  in  the  dwelling-houses.  The  heat  of  the  climate  ren- 
ders carpets,  or  even  wooden  floors,  quite  insupportable,  and 
they  are  very  rarely  to  be  found. 

We  have  said  that  the  Creole  ladies  never  stir  abroad 
except  in  the  national  volante,  and  whatever  their  domestic 
habits  may  be,  they  are  certainly,  in  this  respect,  good  house- 
keeper's. A  Cuban  belle  could  never,  we  fancy,  be  made 
to  understand  the  pleasures  of  that  most  profitless  of  all 
employments,  spinning  street-yarn.  While  our  ladies  are 
busily  engaged  in  sweeping  the  sidewalks  of  Chestnut-street 
and  Broadway  with  their  silk  flounces,  she  wisely  leaves 
that  business  to  the  gangs  of  criminals  who  perform  the 
office  with  their  limbs  chained,  and  a  ball  attached  to  preserve 
their  equilibrium.  It  is  perhaps  in  part  owing  to  these 
habits  that  the  feet  of  the  Cuban  senorita  are  such  a  marvel 
of  smallness  and  delicacy,  seemingly  made  rather  for  orna- 
ment than  for  use.  She  knows  the  charm  of  the  petit  jned 
hien  chausse  that  delights  the  Parisian,  and  accordingly,  as 
you  catch  a  glimpse  of  it,  as  she  steps  into  the  volante,  you 
perceive  that  it  is  daintily  shod  in  a  French  slipper,  the 
7* 


78 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 


sole  of  which  is  scarcely  more  substantial  in  appearance  than 
writing  paper.  =^ 

The  feet  of  the  Havana  ladies  are  made  for  ornament 
and  for  dancing.  Though  with  a  roundness  of  figure  that 
leaves  nothing  to  be  desired  in  symmetry  of  form,  yet  they 
are  light  as  a  sylph,  clad  in  muslin  and  lace,  so  languid 
and  light  that  it  would  seem  as  if  a  breeze  might  waft  them 
away  like  a  summer  cloud.  They  are  passionately  fond  of 
dancing,  and  tax  the  endurance  of  the  gentlemen  in  their 
heroic  worship  of  Terpsichore.  Inspired  by  the  thrilling 
strains  of  those  Cuban  airs,  which  are  at  once  so  sweet  and 
brilliant,  they  glide  or  whirl  through  the  mazes  of  the 
dance  hour  after  hour,  until  daylight  breaks  upon  the 
scene  of  fairy  revel.  Then,  "  exhausted  but  not  satiated," 
they  betake  themselves  to  sleep,  to  dream  of  the  cadences  of 
some  Cuban  Strauss,  and  to  beat  time  in  imagination  to  the 
lively  notes,  and  to  dream  over  the  soft  words  and  winning 
glances  they  have  exchanged. 

Beautiful  as  eastern  houris,  there  is  a  striking  and  endear- 
ing charm  about  the  Cuban  ladies,  their  very  motion  being 
replete  with  a  native  grace ;  every  limb  elastic  and  supple. 
Their  voices  are  sweet  and  low,  ''  an  excellent  thing  in  wo- 
man," and  the  subdued  tone  of  their  complexions  is  relieved 
by  the  arch  vivacity  of  night-black  eyes  that  alternately 


*  "  Her  hands  and  feet  are  as  small  and  delicate  as  those  of  a  child. 
She  wears  the  finest  satin  slippers,  with  scarcely  any  soles,  which,  luckily, 
are  never  destined  to  touch  the  street."—  6'ou/? /ess  Merlin's  Letters. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  79 

swim  in  melting  lustre  or  sparkle  in  expressive  glances. 
Their  costume  is  never  ostentatious,  though  costlj ;  the 
most  delicate  muslin,  the  finest  linen,  the  richest  silk,  the 
most  exquisitely  made  satin  shoes, —  these,  of  course,  render 
their  chaste  attire  exceedingly  expensive.  There  are  no 
"  strong-minded  "  women  among  them,  nor  is  it  hardly 
possible  to  conceive  of  any  extremity  that  could  induce 
them  to  get  up  a  woman's  right  convention  —  a  suspension 
of  fans  and  volantes  might  produce  such  a  phenomenon,  but 
we  very  much  doubt  it. 

The  Creole  ladies  lead  a  life  of  decided  ease  and  pleasure. 
What  little  work  they  do  is  very  light  and  lady-like,  a  little 
sewing  or  embroidery ;  the  bath  and  the  siesta  divide  the 
sultry  hours  of  the  day.  They  wait  until  nearly  sun-set 
for  the  drive  in  the  dear  volante,  and  then  go  to  respond  by 
sweet  smiles  to  the  salutations  of  the  caballeros  on  the 
Paseoes,  and  after  the  long  twilight  to  the  Plaza  de  Armas, 
to  listen  to  the  governor's  military  band,  and  then  perhaps 
to  join  the  mazy  dance.  Yet  they  are  capable  of  deep  and 
high  feeling,  and  when  there  was  a  prospect  of  the  liberation 
of  the  island,  these  fair  patriots  it  will  be  remembered  gave 
their  most  precious  jewels  and  ornaments  as  a  contribution 
to  the  glorious  cause  of  liberty. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Contrast  between  Protestant  and  Catholic  communities  —  Catholic 
churches  —  Sabbath  scenes  in  Havana  —  Devotion  of  the  common  peo- 
ple —  The  Plaza  de  Armas  —  City  squares  —  The  poor  man's  opera 
—  Influence  of  music —  La  Dominica  —  The  Tacon  Paseo  —  The  Tacon 
Theatre  —  The  Cathedral  —  Tomb  of  Columbus  over  the  altar — Story 
of  the  great  Genoese  pilot  —  His  death  —  Removal  of  remains  —  The 
former  great  wealth  of  the  church  in  Cuba  —  Influence  of  the  priests. 

On  no  occasion  is  the  difference  between  the  manners  of  a 
Protestant  and  Catholic  community  so  strongly  marked  as 
on  the  Sabbath.  In  the  former,  a  sober  seriousness  stamps 
the  deportment  of  the  people,  even  when  they  are  not  en- 
gaged in  devotional  exercises ;  in  the  latter,  worldly  pleas- 
ures and  religious  exercises  are  pursued  as  it  were  at  the 
same  time,  or  follow  each  other  in  incongruous  succession. 
The  Parisian  flies  from  the  church  to  the  railway  station, 
to  take  a  pleasure  excursion  into  the  country,  or  passes  with 
careless  levity  from  St.  Genevieve  to  the  Jardin  ^labille ; 
in  New  Orleans,  the  Creole,  who  has  just  bent  his  knee  before 
the  altar,  repairs  to  the  French  opera,  and  the  Cuban  from 
the  blessing  of  the  priest  to  the  parade  in  the  Plaza.  Even 
the  Sunday  ceremonial  of  the  church  is  a  pageant ;  the 
splendid  robe  of  the  officiating  priest,  changed  in  the  course 


HISTORY   OP  CUBA.  81 

of  the  offices,  like  the  costumes  of  actors  in  a  drama;  the 
music,  to  Protestant  ears  operatic  and  exciting ;  the  clouds 
of  incense  that  scatter  their  intoxicating  perfumes;  the  chants 
in  a  strange  tongue,  unknown  to  the  mass  of  worshippers ;  — 
all  these  give  the  services  a  holiday  and  carnival  character.* 
Far  be  it  from  us  to  charge  these  congregations  \Yith  any 
undue  levity  ;  many  a  lovely  Creole  kneels  upon  the  marble 
floor,  entirely  estranged  from  the  brilliant  groups  around 
her,  and  unconscious  for  the  time  of  the  admiration  she 
excites ;  many  a  caballero  bows  in  reverence,  forgetful,  for 
the  tim.e  being,  of  the  bright  eyes  that  are  too  often  the 
load-star  of  attraction  to  the  church ;  and  there  are  very 
many  who  look  beyond  the  glittering  symbols  to  the  great 
truths  and  the  great  Being  they  are  intended  to  typify. 
But  we  fear  that  a  large  portion  of  the  community  who 
thus  worship,  attach  more  importance  to  the  representation 
than  to  the  principles  or  things  represented.  The  impres- 
sion made  by  the  Sabbath  ceremonies  of  the  church  strikes 
us  as  evanescent,  and  as  of  such  a  character  as  to  be  at  once 
obliterated  by  the  excitement  of  the  worldly  pleasures  that 
follow.  Still,  if  the  Sabbath  in  Catholic  countries  be  not 
wholly  devoted  to  religious  observances,  neither  are  the 
week  days  wholly  absorbed  by  business  and  pleasure.  The 
churches   and  chapels  are  always   open,   silently  but  elo- 

*  The  influence  of  fifteen  minutes  in  the  church,  if  salutary,  seems  soon 
dissipated  by  the  business  and  amusements  -without  its  walls.  The  shops 
are  open  ;  the  cock-pit  fuller  than  on  busier  days  of  the  week  ;  and  the 
streets  thronged  with  volantes  ;  the  theatres  and  ball  ropms  crowded  ; 
and  the  city  devoted  to  pleasure. — Rev.  Abiel  AbboVs  Lellcrs. 


82  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

quently  inviting  to  devotion ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  able  to 
step  aside,  at  any  moment,  from  the  temptations,  business 
and  cares  of  life,  into  an  atmosphere  of  seclusion  and  re- 
ligion. The  solemn  quiet  of  an  old  cathedral  on  a  week- 
day is  impressive  from  its  very  contrast  with  the  tumult 
outside. 

Within  its  venerable  walls -the  light  seems  chastened  as  it 
falls  through  storied  panes,  and  paints  the  images  of  Chris- 
tian saints  and  martyrs  on  the  cold  pavement  of  the  aisles. 
Who  can  tell  how  many  a  tempest- tossed  soul  has  found 
relief  and  strength  from  the  ability  to  withdraw  itself  at 
once  from  the  intoxicating  whirl  of  the  world  and  expand  in 
prayer  in  one  of  these  hospitable  and  ever  open  sanctuaries  ? 
The  writer  is  a  firm  Protestant,  by  education,  by  association 
and  feeling,  but  he  is  not  so  bigoted  as  not  to  see  features 
in  the  Catholic  system  worthy  of  commendation.  Whether 
the  Catholic  church  has  accomplished  its  mission,  and  ex- 
hausted its  means  of  good,  is  a  question  open  to  discussion, 
but  that  in  the  past  it  has  achieved  much  for  the  cause  of 
true  religion  cannot  be  denied.  Through  the  darkest  period 
in  the  history  of  the  world,  it  was  the  lamp  that  guided  to 
a  higher  civilization,  and  the  bulwark  of  the  people  against 
the  crushing  force  of  feudalism ;  and  with  all  the  objections 
which  it  discovers  to  a  Protestant  eye,  it  still  preserves  many 
beautiful  customs. 

The  Sabbath  in  Havana  breaks  upon  the  citizens  amid 
the  ringing  of  bells  from  the  different  convents  and  churches, 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  83 

the  firing  of  cannon  from  the  forts  and  vessels,  the  noise  of 
trumpets,  and  the  roll  of  the  drum.  Sunday  is  no  day  of 
physical  rest  here.  The  stores  are  open  as  usual,  the  same 
cries  are  heard  in  the  streets,  and  the  lottery  tickets  are 
vended  as  ever  at  each  corner.  The  individual  who  devotes 
himself  to  this  business  rends  the  air  with  his  cries  of  temp- 
tation to  the  passing  throng,  each  one  of  whom  he  earnestly 
assures  is  certain  to  realize  enormous  pecuniary  returns  by 
the  smallest  investment,  in  tickets,  or  portions  of  tickets, 
which  he  holds  in  sheets,  while  he  brandishes  a  huge  pair 
of  scissors,  ready  to  cut  in  any  desired  proportion.  The 
day  proves  no  check  to  the  omnipresent  "organ  grinders," 
the  monkey  shows,  and  other  characteristic  scenes.  How 
unlike  a  New  England  Sabbath  is  all  this,  how  discordant 
to  the  feelings  of  one  who  has  been  brought  up  amid  our 
Puritanic  customs  of  the  sacred  day  !  And  yet  the  people 
of  Havana  seem  to  be  impressed  with  no  small  degree  of 
reverence  for  the  Catholic  faith.  The  rough  Montero  from 
the  country,  with  his  long  line  of  loaded  mules,  respectfully 
raises  his  panama  with  one  hand,  while  he  makes  the  sign 
of  the  cross  with  the  other,  as  he  passes  the  church.  The 
caliscro  or  postilion,  who  dashes  by  with  his  master  in  the 
volantc,  does  not  forget,  in  his  hurry,  to  bend  to  the  pommel 
of  his  saddle  ;  and  even  the  little  negro  slave  children  may 
1)0  observed  to  fold  their  arms  across  their  breasts  and  remain 
reverentially  silent  until  they  have  passed  its  doors. 

The  city  abounds  in  beautifully  arranged  squares,  orna- 


84  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

merited  by  that  king  of  the  tropical  forest,  the  Royal  Palm, 
with  here  and  there  a  few  orange  trees,  surrounded  by  a 
luxuriant  hedge  of  limes.  The  largest  and  most  beautiful 
of  these  squares  is  the  Plaza  de  Annas^  fronting  which  is 
the  Governor's  palace,  and  about  which  are  the  massive 
stone  barracks  of  the  Spanish  army.  This  square  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  iron  railing  and  divided  into  beautiful  walks, 
planted  on  either  side  with  gaudy  flowers,  and  shadowed  by 
oranges  and  palms,  while  a  grateful  air  of  coolness  is  dijQTused 
around  by  the  playing  of  a  copious  fountain  into  a  large 
stone  basin,  surmounted  by  a  marble  statue  of  Ferdinand. 
Public  squares,  parks  and  gardens,  are  the  lungs  of  great 
cities,  and  their  value  increases  as  the  population  becomes 
dense.  Heap  story  upon  story  of  costly  marble,  multiply 
magazines  and  palaces,  yet  neglect  to  provide,  in  their  midst, 
some  glimpse  of  nature,  some  opening  for  the  light  and 
air  of  heaven,  and  the  costliest  and  most  sumptuous  of  cities 
would  prove  but  a  dreary  dwelling-place.  The  eye  wearies, 
in  time,  of  the  glories  of  art,  but  of  the  gifts  of  nature 
never,  and  in  public  squares  and  gardens  both  may  be  hap- 
pily combined. 

Human  culture  brings  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers  to  their 
fullest  development,  fosters  and  keeps  green  the  emerald 
sward,  and  brings  the  bright  leaping  waters  into  the  mjdst 
of  the  graces  of  nature.  Nowhere  does  a  beautiful  statue 
look  more  beautiful  than  when  erected  in  a  frame-work  of 
deep  foliage.     These  public  squares  are  the  most  attractive 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  85 

features  of  cities.  Take  from  London  Hyde  Park,  from 
Paris  the  Champs  Eljsees  and  the  Tuilleries  gardens,  the 
Battery  and  the  Park  from  New  York,  and  the  Common 
from  Boston,  and  they  would  be  but  weary  wildernesses  of 
brick,  stone  and  mortar.  The  enlightened  corporation  that 
bestows  on  a  young  city  the  gift  of  a  great  park,  to  be  en- 
joyed in  common  forever,  does  more  for  posterity  than  if  it 
raised  the  most  sumptuous  columns  and  palaces  for  public 
use  or  display. 

The  Plaza  de  Armas  of  Havana  is  a  living  evidence  of 
this,  and  is  the  nightly  resort  of  all  who  can  find  time  to  be 
there,  while  the  governor's  military  band  performs  always 
from  seven  to  nine  o'clock.  The  Creoles  call  it  ''  the  poor' 
man's  opera,"  it  being  free  to  all ;  every  class  resorts  hither; 
and  even  the  ladies,  leaving  their  volantes,  sometimes  walk 
with  husband  or  brother  within  the  precincts  of  the  Plaza. 
We  are  told  that  "  the  man  who  has  not  music  in  his  soul 
is  fit  for  treason,  stratagem  and  spoils."  It  is  undoubtedly 
from  motives  of  policy  that  the  Havanese  authorities  pro- 
vide this  entertainment  for  the  people.  How  ungrateful  it 
would  be  to  overthrow  a  governor  whose  band  performs  such 
delightful  polkas,  overtures  and  marches;  and  yet,  it  re- 
quires some  circumspection  for  the  band-master  to  select 
airs  for  a  Creole  audience.  It  would  certainly  never  do  to 
give  them  ''Yankee  Doodle;"  their  sympathies  with  the 
'-^ Norte  A^nericanos''^  d^YQ  sufficiently  lively  without  any 
such  additional  stimulus ;  and  it  is  well  for  the  authorities 


86  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

to  have  a  care,  for  the  power  of  national  airs  is  almost  in- 
credible. It  was  found  necessary,  in  the  times  of  the  old 
Bourbons,  to  forbid  the  performance  o?  the  ^^  Raiiz  des 
Vaches,'^  because  it  so  filled  the  privates  of  the  Swiss 
guards  with  memories  of  their  native  home  that  they  de- 
serted in  numbers.  The  Scotch  air  of  "  Lochaber  no  more  " 
was  found  to  have  the  same  effect  upon  the  Highland  regi- 
ments in  Canada  ;  and  we  are  not  sure  that  ''  Yankee  Doo- 
dle," performed  in  the  presence  of  a  thousand  Americans 
on  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  would  not  secure  the  annexation  of 
the  island  in  a  fortnight. 

The  Creoles  are  passionately  fond  of  music.  Their  fa- 
vorite airs,  besides  the  Castilian  ones,  are  native  dances, 
which  have  much  sweetness  and  individuality  of  character. 
They  are  fond  of  the  guitar  and  flageolet,  and  are  often 
proficients  in  their  use,  as  well  as  possessing  fine  vocal 
powers.  The  voice  is  cultivated  among  the  gentlemen  as  often 
as  with  the  ladies.  Music  in  the  open  air  and  in  the  evening 
has  an  invincible  effect  everywhere,  but  nowhere  is  its  in- 
fluence more  deeply  felt  than  in  a  starry  tropical  night. 
Nowhere  can  we  conceive  of  a  musical  performance  listened 
to  with  more  delightful  relish  than  in  the  Plaza  at  Havana, 
as  discoursed  by  the  governor's  band,  at  the  close  of  the 
long  tropical  twilight. 

In  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Plaza,  near  the 
rear  of  the  governor's  palace,  is  a  superb  confectionary, — 
really  one  of  the  notabilities  of  the  city,  and  only  excelled 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  87 

by  Taylor's  salooHj  Broadway,  New  York.  It  is  called  La 
Dominica,  and  is  the  popular  resort  of  all  foreigners  in 
Havana,  and  particularly  of  Americans  and  Frenchmen.  It 
is  capable  of  accommodating  some  hundreds  of  visitors  at 
a  time,  and  is  generally  well  filled  every  afternoon  and  eve- 
ning. In  the  centre  is  a  large  open  court,  paved  with  white 
marble  and  jasper,  and  containing  a  fountain  in  the  middle, 
around  which  the  visitors  are  seated.  Probably  no  estab- 
lishment in  the  world  can  supply  a  larger  variety  of  pre- 
serves, bon-bons  and  confectionaries  generally,  than  this,  the 
fruits  of  the  island  supplying  the  material  for  nearly  a  hun- 
dred varieties  of  preserves,  which  the  proprietor  exports 
largely  to  Europe  and  America,  and  has  thereby  accumu- 
lated for  himself  a  fortune. 

Following  the  street  on  which  is  this  famous  confectionary, 
one  is  soon  brought  to  the  city  walls,  and,  passing  outside, 
is  at  once  ushered  into  the  Tacon  Paseo,  where  all  the  beauty 
and  fashion  of  the  town  resort  in  the  after  part  of  the  day. 
It  is  a  mile  or  more  in  length,  beautifully  laid  out  in  wide, 
clean  walks,  with  myriads  of  tropical  flowers,  trees  and 
shrubs,  whose  fragrance  seems  to  render  the  atmosphere 
almost  dense.  Here  the  ladies  in  their  volantes,  and  the 
gentlemen  mostly  on  foot,  pass  and  repass  each  other  in  a 
sort  of  circular  drive,  gayly  saluting,  the  ladies  with  a  co- 
quettish flourish  of  the  fan,  the  gentlemen  with  a  graceful 
wave  of  the  hand. 

In  these  grounds  is  situated  the  famous  Tacon  Theatre. 


88  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

In  visiting  the  house,  you  enter  the  first  tier  and.  parquette 
from  the  level  of  the  Paseo,  and  find  the  interior  about 
twice  as  large  as  any  theatre  in  this  country,  and  about 
equal  in  capacity  to  Tripler  Hall,  New  York,  or  the  Music 
Hall,  Boston.  It  has  five  tiers  of  boxes,  and  a  parquette 
with  seats,  each  separate,  like  an  arm-chair,  for  six  hun- 
dred persons.  The  lattice-work  in  front  of  each  box  is 
light  and  graceful,  of  gilt  ornament,  and  so  open  that  the 
dresses  and  pretty  feet  of  the  senoras  are  seen  to  the  best 
advantage.  The  decorations  are  costly,  and  the  frescoes  and 
side  ornaments  of  the  proscenium  exceedingly  beautiful.  A 
magnificent  cut-glass  chandelier,  lighted  with  gas,  and 
numerous  smaller  ones  extending  from  the  boxes,  give  a 
brilliant  light  to  this  elegant  house.  At  the  theatre  the 
military  are  always  in  attendance  in  strong  force,  as  at  all 
gatherings  in  Cuba,  however  unimportant,  their  only  per- 
ceptible use,  however,  being  to  impede  the  passages,  and 
stare  the  ladies  out  of  countenance.  The  only  other  noted 
place  of  amusement  is  the  Italian  opera-house,  within  the 
city  walls,  an  oven-shaped  building  externally,  but  within 
appropriately  and  elegantly  furnished  with  every  necessary 
appurtenance. 

No  object  in  Havana  will  strike  the  visitor  with  more  of 
interest  than  the  cathedral,  situated  in  the  Calle  de  Ignacio. 
Its  towers  and  pillared  front  of  defaced  and  moss-grown 
stone  call  back  associations  of  centuries  gone  by.  This 
cathedral,  like  all  of  the   Catholic  churches,  is  elaborately 


:-r'v%vV~,5^'    '1^^ 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  89 

ornamented  with  many  fine  old  paintings  of  large  size  and 
immense  value.  The  entire  dome  is  also  decorated  with 
paintings  in  fresco.  The  chief  object  of  interest,  however, 
and  which  will  not  fail  to  attract  the  attention,  is  a  tablet 
of  marble  inlaid  in  the  wall  at  the  right  of  the  altar,  hav- 
ing upon  its  face  the  image  of  Christopher  Columbus,  and 
forming  the  entrance  to  the  tomb  where  rest  the  ashes  of 
this  discoverer  of  a  western  world ;  hero,  too,  are  the  iron 
chains  with  which  an  ungrateful  sovereign  once  loaded  him. 
How  great  the  contrast  presented  to  the  mind  between  those 
chains  and  the  reverence  bestowed  upon  this  tomb !  * 

The  story  of  the  great  Genoese  possesses  a  more  thrill- 
ing interest  than  any  narrative  which  the  imagination  of 
poet  or  romancer  has  ever  conceived.  The  tales  of  the  Ara- 
bian Nights,  with  all  their  wealth  of  fancy,  are  insipid  and 
insignificant  compared  with  the  authentic  narrative  of  the 
adventures  of  the  Italian  mariner  and  his  sublime  discov- 
ery. Familiar  as  we  are  with  it  from  childhood,  from  the 
greatness  of  the  empire  he  gave  to  Christendom,  the  tale 
has  still  a  fascination,  however  often  repeated,  while  the 
visible  memorials  of  his  greatness  and  his  trials  revive  all 
our  veneration  for  his  intellect  and  all  our  interest  in  the 
story  of  his  career.     His  name  flashes  a  bright  ray  over  the 


*  There  is  now  being  completed,  <at  Genoa,  an  elaborate  and  most  classi- 
cal monument  to  the  memory  of  Columbus.  The  work  has  been  entrusted 
to  a  Genoese,  a  pupil  of  Canova  ;  and,  according  to  Prof  Silliman,  who 
visited  it  in  1851,  promises  to  be  "  one  of  the  noblest  of  historical  records 
ever  sculptured  in  marble." 
8* 


90  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

mental  darkness  of  the  period  in  which  he  lived,  for  men 
generally  were  then  but  just  awakening  from  the  dark  sleep 
of  the  middle  ages.  The  discovery  of  printing  heralded 
the  new  birth  of  the  republic  of  letters,  and  maritime  en- 
terprise received  a  vigorous  impulse.  The  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean,  thoroughly  explored  and  developed,  had  en- 
dowed the  Italian  states  with  extraordinary  wealth,  and 
built  up  a  very  respectable  mercantile  marine,  considering 
the  period.  The  Portuguese  mariners  were  venturing  far- 
ther and  farther  from  the  peninsula  ports,  and  traded  with 
different  stations  on  the  coast  of  Africa. 

But  to  the  west  lay  what  men  supposed  to  be  an  illimit- 
able ocean,  full  of  mystery,  peril  and  death.  A  vague  con- 
ception that  islands,  hitherto  unknown,  might  be  met  with 
afar  off  on  that  strange  wilderness  of  waters,  like  oases  in 
a  desert,  was  entertained  by  some  minds,  but  no  one  thought 
of  venturing  in  quest  of  them.  Columbus  alone,  regarded 
merely  as  a  brave  and  intelligent  seaman  and  pilot,  con- 
ceived the  idea  that  the  earth  was  spherical,  and  that  the 
East  Indies,  the  great  El  Dorado  of  the  century,  might  be 
reached  by  circumnavigating  the  globe.  If  we  picture  to 
ourselves  the  mental  condition  of  the  age,  and  the  state  of 
science,  we  shall  find  no  difficulty  in  conceiving  the  scorn 
and  incredulity  with  w^hich  the  theory  of  Columbus  was 
received.  We  shall  not  wonder  that  he  was  regarded  as  a 
madman  or  as  a  fool ;  we  are  not  surprised  to  remember 
that  he  encountered  repulse  upon  repulse,  as  he  journeyed 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  91 

wearily  from  court  to  court,  and  pleaded  in  vain  for  aid  to 
the  sovereigns  of  Europe  and  wise  men  of  the  cloister.  But 
the  marvel  is  that  when  gate  after  gate  was  closed  against 
him,  when  all  ears  were  deaf  to  his  patient  importunities, 
when  day  by  day  the  opposition  to  his  views  increased,  when, 
weary  and  foot-sore,  he  was  forced  to  beg  a  morsel  of  bread 
and  a  cup  of  water  for  his  fainting  and  famished  boy,  at 
the  door  of  a  Spanish  convent,  his  reason  did  not  give  way, 
and  his  great  heart  did  not  break  beneath  its  weight  of  dis- 
appointment. 

But  his  soul  was  then  as  firm  and  steadfast  as  when, 
launched  in  his  frail  caravel  upon  the  ocean,  he  pursued 
day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  amidst  a  discontented, 
murmuring,  and  mutinous  crew,  his  westward  path  over  the 
trackless  waters.  We  can  conceive  of  his  previous  sorrows, 
but  what  imagination  can  form  an  adequate  conception  of 
his  hopefulness  and  gratitude  when  the  tokens  of  the  neigh- 
borhood of  land  first  greeted  his  senses ;  of  his  high  enthu- 
siasm when  the  shore  was  discovered ;  of  his  noble  rapture 
when  the  keel  of  his  bark  grounded  on  the  shore  of  San 
Salvador,  and  he  planted  the  royal  standard  in  the  soil,  the 
Viceroy  and  High  Admiral  of  Spain  in  the  New  World  ! 
No  matter  what  chanced  thereafter,  a  king's  favor  or  a 
king's  displeasure,  royal  largesses  or  royal  chains. —  that 
moment  of  noble  exultation  was  worth  a  long  lifetime  of 
trials.  Such  were  our  thoughts  before  the  cathedral  altar, 
gazing  on  his  consecrated  tomb,  and  thus  suggestive  will  the 


92  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

visitor  be  sure  to  find  this  raemorial  of  the  great  captain 
amid  its  sombre  surroundings.^ 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Columbus  died  in  Yalladolid, 
in  1506.  In  1513  his  remains  were  transferred  to  Seville, 
preparatory  to  their  being  sent,  as  desired  in  his  will,  to  St. 
Domingo.  When  that  island  was  ceded  to  France,  the 
remains  were  delivered  to  the  Spaniards.  This  was  in  1796. 
one  hundred  and  three  years  after  they  had  been  placed 
there  ;  they  were  then  brought  with  great  pomp  to  Havana, 
in  a  national  ship,  and  were  deposited  in  the  cathedral  in 
the  presence  of  all  the  liigh  authorities.  The  church  itself, 
aside  from  this  prominent  feature  of  interest,  is  vastly  at- 
tractive from  its  ancient  character  and  appearance,  and  one 
lingers  with  mysterious  delight  and  thoughtfulness  among 
its  marble  aisles  and  confessionals. 

The  wealth  of  the  church  and  of  the  monks  in  Cuba  was 
formerly  proverbial,  but  of  late  years  the  major  portion  of 
the  rich  perquisites  which  they  were  so  long  permitted  to 
receive,  have  been  diverted  in  their  course,  so  as  to  flow  into 
the  coffers  of  the  crown.  The  priests  at  one  time  possessed 
large  tracts  of  the  richest  soil  of  the  island,  and  their  rev- 
enue from  these  plantations  was  immense ;  but  these  lands 
were  finally  confiscated  by  the  government,  and,  with  the 
loss  of  their  property,  the  power  of  the  monks  has  also 
declined,  and  they  themselves  diminished  in  numbers.     Two 

*  The  reward  of  genius  is  rarely  cotemporary,  and  even  posterity  is  fre- 
quently most  remiss  in  its  justice.  "  Sebastian  Cabot  gave  England  a 
continent,"  says  Bancroft,  "  and  no  one  knows  his  burial-place  !  " 


lUSTOllY    OF    CUBA.  93 

of  their  large  establishments,  St.  Augustine  and  St.  Domin- 
go, have  been  converted  into  government  storehouses,  and 
the  large  convent  of  San  Juan  de  Dies  is  now  used  solely 
for  a  hospital.  Formerly  the  streets  were  thronged  by 
monks,  but  now  they  are  only  occasionally  seen,  with  their 
sombre  dress  and  large  shovel  hats. 

The  character  of  this  class  of  men  has  of  former  years 
been  a  scandal  to  the  island,  and  the  stories  that  are  told  by 
respectable  people  concerning  them  are  really  unfit'  for 
print.  They  led  lives  of  the  most  unlimited  profligacy, 
and  they  hesitated  not  to  defy  every  law,  moral  or  divine. 
For  a  long  period  this  existed,  but  Tacon  and  subsequent 
governors-general,  aroused  to  a  sense  of  shame,  made  the 
proper  representations  to  the  home  government,  and  put  a 
stop  to  their  excesses.  Many  persons  traced  the  bad  condi- 
tion of  public  morals  and  the  increase  of  crime  just  previous 
to  Tacon' s  governorship  directly  to  this  ruling  influence. 

A  fearful  condition  when  those  who  assume  to  lead  in 
spiritual  afiairs  proved  the  fountain-head  of  crime  upon  the 
island,  themselves  the  worst  of  criminals. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Nudity  of  children  and  slaves  — The  street  of  the  merchants  —  The  cur- 
rency of  Cuba — The  Spanish  army  in  the  island  —  Enrolment  of 
blacks  —  Courage  of  Spanish  troops  —  Treatment  by  the  government  — 
Thegarrote— A  military  execution  —  The  market-men  and  their  wares 
—  The  milk-man  and  his  mode  of  supply  —  Glass  windows  —  Curtains 
for  doors  —  The  Campo  Santo,  or  burial-place  of  Havana  —  Treatment 
of  the  dead  —  The  prison  —  The  fish-market  of  the  capital. 

One  peculiarity  which  is  certain  to  strike  the  stranger 
from  the  first  hour  he  lands  upoi^  the  island,  whether  in 
public  or  private  houses,  in  the  stores  or  in  the  streets,  is 
that  the  young  slaves,  of  both  sexes,  under  the  age  of  eight 
or  ten  years,  are  permitted  to  go  about  in  a  state  of  perfect 
nudity ;  while  the  men  of  the  same  class,  who  labor  in  the 
streets,  wear  only  a  short  pair  of  pantaloons,  without  any 
other  covering  to  the  body,  thus  displaying  their  brawny 
muscles  at  every  movement.  This  causes  rather  a  shock  to 
the  ideas  of  propriety  entertained  by  an  American ;  but  it 
is  thought  nothing  of  by  the  "  natives."  On  the  planta- 
tions inland,  the  slaves  of  either  sex  wear  but  just  enough 
clothes  to  appear  decently.  The  almost  intolerable  heat 
when  exposed  to  field-labor  is  the  excuse  for  this,  a  broad 


HISTORY   OF    CUBA.  95 

palm-leaf  hat  being  the  only  article  that  the  negroes  seem 
to  desire  to  wear  in  the  field. 

The  Calle  de  Mcrcaderes,  or  the  street  of  the  merchants, 
is  the  Broadway  and  Washington  Street  of  Havana,  and 
contains  many  fine  stores  for  the  sale  of  dry  goods,  china, 
jewelry,  glass-ware,  etc.  The  merchant  here  does  not 
designate  his  store  by  placing  his  own  name  on  his  sign, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  adopts  some  fancy  title,  such  as  the 
'•America,"  the  "Star,"  the  ''Bomb,"  "Virtue,"  and 
the  like  ;  which  titles  are  paraded  in  golden  letters  over  the 
doors.  These  tradesmen  are,  generally  speaking,  thorough 
Jews  in  their  mode  of  dealing,  and  no  one  thinks  of  paying 
the  first  price  asked  by  them  for  an  article,  as  they  usually 
make  allowances  for  being  beaten  down  at  least  one  half 
The  ladies  commonly  make  their  purchases  in  the  after 
part  of  the  day,  stopping  in  their  volantes  at  the  doors  of 
the  shops,  from  which  the  articles  they  desire  to  examine 
are  brought  to  them  by  the  shopmen.  No  lady  enters  a 
shop  to  make  a  purchase,  a^ny  more  than  she  would  be  found 
walking  in  the  streets. 

There  is  no  paper  money  known  on  the  island,  so  that 
all  transactions  at  these  stores  must  be  consummated  in 
specie.  The  coin  generally  in  use  is  the  Spanish  and 
Mexican  dollar,  half  and  quarter  dollars,  pesetas,  or  twenty- 
cent  pieces,  and  reals  de  plata,  equal  to  our  twelve-and-a- 
half  cent  pieces,  or  Yoi^  shillings.  The  gold  coin  is  the 
doubloon  and  its  fractions.     Silver  is  always  scarce,  and 


96  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

held  at  a  premium  in  Havana,  say  from  two  to  five  per  cent. 
As  Cuba  has  no  regular  bank,  the  merchant  draws  on  his 
foreign  credit  altogether,  each  mercantile  house  becoming 
its  own  sub-treasury,  supplied  with  the  largest  and  best  of 
iron  safes.  The  want  of  some  legitimate  banking  system  is 
severely  felt  here,  and  is  a  prominent  subject  of  complaint 
w^ith  all  foreign  merchants. 

The  Spanish  government  supports  a  large  army  on  the 
island,  which  is  under  the  most  rigid  discipline,  and  in  a 
state  of  considerable  efficiency.  It  is  the  policy  of  the 
home  government  to  fill  the  ranks  with  natives  of  old  Spain, 
in  order  that  no  undue  sympathy  may  be  felt  for  the  Creoles, 
or  islanders,  in  case  of  insurrection  or  attempted  revolution. 
An  order  has  recently  been  issued  by  Pezuela,  the  present 
governor-general,  for  the  enrolment  of  free  blacks  and 
mulattoes  in  the  ranks  of  the  army,  and  the  devotion  of 
these  people  to  Spain  is  loudly  vaunted  in  the  captain-gen- 
eral's proclamation.  The  enlistment  of  people  of  color  in 
the  ranks  is  a  deadly  insult  ofiered  to  the  white  population 
of  a  slave-holding  country, —  a  sort  of  shadowing  forth  of 
the  menace,  more  than  once  thrown  out  by  Spain,  to  the 
effect  that  if  the  colonists  should  ever  attempt  a  revolution, 
she  would  free  and  arm  the  blacks,  and  Cuba,  made  to 
repeat  the  tragic  tale  of  St.  Domingo,  should  be  useless  to 
the  Creoles  if  lost  to  Spain.  But  we  think  Spain  overesti- 
mates the  loyalty  of  the  free  people  of  color  whom  she 
would  now  enroll  beneath  her  banner.     They  cannot  forget 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  97 

the  days  of  O'Donnell  (governor-general),  when  he  avenged 
the  opposition  of  certain  Cubans  to  the  illicit  and  infamous 
slave-trade  by  which  he  was  enriching  himself,  by  charging 
them  with  an  abolition  conspiracy  in  conjunction  with  the 
free  blacks  and  mulattoes,  and  put  many  of  the  latter  to 
the  torture  to  make  them  confess  imaginary  crimes ;  while 
others,  condemned  without  a  trial,  were  mowed  down  by  the 
fire  of  platoons.  Assuredly  the  people  of  color  have  no 
reason  for  attachment  to  the  jmtemal  government  of  Spain. 
And  in  this  connection  we  may  also  remark  that  this 
attempt  at  the  enjjolment  of  the  blacks  has  already  proved, 
according  to  the  admission  of  Spanish  authority,  a  partial 
failure,  for  they  cannot  readily  learn  the  drill,  and  officers 
dislike  to  take  command  of  companies. 

We  have  remarked  that  the  Spanish  troops  are  in  a  state 
of  rigid  discipline,  and  exhibit  much  efficiency.  They  are  to 
the  eye  firm  and  serviceable  troops, —  the  very  best,  doubt- 
less, that  Spain  can  produce ;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  Spanish  valor  is  but  a  feeble  shadow  of  what  it  was  in 
the  days  of  the  Cid  and  the  middle  ages.  A  square  of 
Spanish  infantry  was  once  as  impregnable  as  the  Macedo- 
nian phalanx ;  but  they  have  sadly  degenerated.  The 
actual  value  of  the  Spanish  troops  in  Cuba  may  be  esti- 
mated by  their  behavior  in  the  Lopez  invasion.  They 
were  then  called  upon,  not  to  cope  with  a  well-appointed 
and  equal  force,  but  with  an  irregular,  undisciplined  band 
of  less  than  one-fourth  their  number,  armed  with  wretched 
9 


/ 


98  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

muskets,  entirely  ignorant  of  the  simplest  tactics,  thrown 
on  a  strange  shore,  and  taken  by  surprise.  Yet  nearly  a 
full  regiment  of  infantry,  perfectly  drilled  and  equipped, 
flank  companies,  commanded  by  a  general  who  was  styled 
the  Napoleon  of  Cuba,  were  driven  from  the  field  by  a  few 
irregular  volleys  from  their  opponents.  And  when  again 
the  same  commanding  officer  brought  a  yet  greater  force  of 
every  arm, —  cavalry,  rifles,  infantry  and  artillery, —  against 
the  same  body  of  insurgents,  fatigued  and  reduced  in  num- 
bers and  arms,  they  were  again  disgracefully  routed.  What 
dependence  can  be  placed  upon  such  troops?  They  are 
only  capable  of  overawing  an  unarmed  population. 

The  Cubans  seem  to  fear  very  little  from  the  power  or 
efforts  of  the  Spanish  troops  in  connection  with  the  idea  of 
any  well-organized  revolutionary  attempt,  and  even  count 
(as  they  have  good  reason  to  do)  upon  their  abandoning  the 
Spanish  flag  the  moment  there  is  a  doubt  of  its  success. 
They  say  that  the  troops  are  enlisted  in  Spain  either  by 
glowing  pictures  of  the  luxury  and  ease  of  a  military  life 
in  Cuba,  or  to  escape  the  severity  of  justice  for  the  commis- 
sion of  some  crime.  They  no  sooner  arrive  in  the  islarul 
than  the  deception  of  the  recruiting  sergeants  becomes 
glaringly  apparent.  They  see  themselves  isolated  com- 
pletely from  the  people,  treated  with  the  utmost  cruelty  iu 
the  course  of  their  drills,  and  oppressed  by  the  weight  of 
regulations  that  reduce  them  to  the  condition  of  machines, 
without  any  enjoyments  to  alleviate  the  wretchedness  of 


HISTORY  OF   CUBA.  9f 

their  situation.  Men  thus  treated  are  not  to  be  relied  upon 
in  time  of  emergency ;  they  can  think ^  if  tljey  are  not  per- 
mitted to  act,  and  will  have  opinions  of  their  own. 

Soldiers  thus  ruled  naturally  come  to  hate  those  in 
authority  over  them,  finding  no  redress  for  their  wrongs, 
and  no  sympathy  for  their  troubles.  Their  immediate  offi- 
cers and  those  higher  in  station  are  equally  inaccessible  to 
them,  and  deaf  to  their  complaints  ;  and  when,  in  the  hour 
of  danger,  they  are  called  upon  to  sustain  the  government 
which  so  cruelly  oppresses  them,  and  proclamations,  abound- 
ing in  Spanish  hyperbole,  speak  of  the  honor  and  glory  of 
the  Spanish  army  and  its  attachment  to  the  crown,  they 
know  perfectly  w^ell  that  these  declarations  and  flatteries 
proceed  from  the  lips  of  men  who  entertain  no  such  senti- 
ments in  their  hearts,  and  who  only  come  to  Cuba  to 
oppress  a  people  belonging  to  the  same  Spanish  family  as 
themselves.  Thus  the  despotic  system  of  the  Spanish  offi- 
cers, combined  with  the  complete  isolation  of  the  troops 
from  the  Creole  population,  has  an  effect  directly  contrary 
to  that  contemplated,  and  only  creates  a  readiness  on  the 
part  of  the  troops  to  sympathize  with  the  people  they  are 
brought  to  oppress.  The  constant  presence  of  a  large  mili- 
tary force  increases  the  discontent  and  indignation  of  the 
Creoles.  They  know  perfectly  well  its  object,  and  regard 
it  as  a  perpetual  insult,  a  bitter,  ironical  commentary  on  the 
epithet  of  "  ever  faithful "  with  which  the  home  govern- 
ment always  addresses  its  western  vassal.     The  loyalty  of 


100  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

Cuba  is  indeed  a  rojal  fiction.  As  well  might  a  highway- 
man praise  the  generosity  of  a  rich  traveller  who  surren- 
ders his  purse,  watch  and  diamonds,  at  the  muzzle  of  the 
pistol.  Cuban  loyalty  is  evinced  in  an  annual  tribute  of 
some  twenty-four  millions  of  Lard  money ;  the  freedom  of 
the  gift  is  proved  by  the  perpetual  presence  of  twenty-five 
to  thirty  thousand  men,  armed  to  the  teeth  !  * 

The  complete  military  force  of  Cuba  must  embrace  at  the 
present  time  very  nearly  thirty  thousand  troops, —  artillery, 
dragoons  and  infantry, —  nearly  twenty  thousand  of  which 
force  is  in  and  about  Havana.  To  keep  such  a  body  of 
soldiers  in  order,  when  governed  by  the  principles  we  have 
described,  the  utmost  rigor  is  necessary,  and  military  execu- 
tions are  very  frequent.  The  garrote  is  the  principal 
instrument  of  capital  punishment  used  in  the  island, —  a 
machine  contrived  to  choke  the  victim  to  death  without 
suspending  him  in  the  air.  The  criminal  is  placed  in  a 
chair,  leaning  his  head  back  upon  a  support  prepared  for  it, 
when  a  neck-yoke  or  collar  of  iron  is  drawn  up  close  to  the 
throat.  At  the  appointed  moment,  a  screw  is  turned  behind, 
producing  instantaneous  death,  the  spinal  cord  being  crushed 
where  it  unites  with  the  brain.     This,  though  a  repulsive 


*  "  Can  it  be  for  the  interest  of  Spain  to  cling  to  a  possession  that  can 
only  be  maintained  by  a  garrison  of  twenty-five  thousand  or  tliirty  thou- 
sand troops,  a  powerful  naval  force,  and  an  annual  expenditure,  for  both 
arms  of  the  service,  of  at  least  twelve  million  dollars  ?  Cuba,  at  this 
moment,  costs  more  to  Spain  than  the  entire  naval  and  military  establish- 
ment of  the  United  States  costs  the  federal  government."  —  Edward 
Everett,  on  the  tri-partite  treaty  proposition. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  101 

idea,  is  far  more  merciful  than  hanging,  it  would  seem, 
whereby  life  is  destroyed  by  the  lingering  pro'cess  of  suflfo- 
cation.  The  most  common  mode  of  execution,  however, 
in  the  army,  is  the  legitimate  death  of  a  soldier ;  and,  when 
he  is  condemned,  he  always  falls  by  the  hands  of  his  com- 
rades. 

The  writer  witnessed  one  of  these  military  executions  in 
the  rear  of  the  barracks  that  make  the  seaward  side  of  the 
Plaza  de  A?^mas,  one  fine  summer's  morning.  It  was  a 
fearful  sight,  and  one  that  chilled  the  blood  even  in  a  tropical 
summer  day  !  A  Spanish  soldier  of  the  line  was  to  be  shot 
for  some  act  of  insubordination  against  the  stringent  army 
rules  and  regulations ;  and,  in  order  that  the  punishment 
might  have  a  salutary  effect  upon  his  regiment,  the  whole 
were  drawn  up  to  witness  the  scene.  The  immediate  file  of 
twelve  men  to  which  the  prisoner  had  belonged  when  in  the 
ranks,  were  supplied  with  muskets  by  their  ofiicer,  and  I 
was  told  that  one  musket  was  left  without  ball,  so  that  each 
one  might  hope  that  his  was  not  the  hand  to  slay  his  former 
comrade,  and  yet  a  sense  of  mercy  would  cause  them  all  to 
aim  at  the  heart.  The  order  was  given ;  the  bright  morn- 
ing sun  shone  like  living  fire  along  the  polished  barrels  of 
the  guns,  as  the  fatal  muzzles  all  ranged  in  point  at  the 
heart  of  the  condemned.  "  Fiiego  !  "  (fire)  said  the  com- 
manding officer.  A  report  followed,  accompanied  by  a 
cloud  of  smoke,  which  the  sea  breeze  soon  dispersed,  show- 
ing us  the  still  upright  form  of  the  victim.  Though 
9* 


102  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

wounded  in  many  places,  no  vital  part  was  touched,  nor  did 
he  fall  until  his  sergeant,  advancing  quickly,  with  a  single 
reserved  shot  blew  his  brains  over  the  surrounding  green- 
sward !  His  body  was  immediately  removed,  the  troops 
were  formed  into  companies,  the  band  struck  up  a  lively 
air,  and  thus  was  a  human  being  launched  into  eternity. 

A  very  common  sight  in  the  cities  or  large  towns  of  Cuba, 
early  in  the  morning,  is  to  meet  a  Montero  from  the  country, 
riding  his  donkey,  to  the  tail  of  which  another  donkey  is 
tied,  and  to  this  second  one's  tail  a  third,  and  so  on,  up  to 
a  dozen,  or  less.  These  animals  are  loaded  with  large  pan- 
niers, filled  with  various  articles  of  produce ;  some  bearing 
cornstalks  for  food  for  city  animals ;  some  hay,  or  straw ; 
others  oranges,  or  bananas,  or  cocoanuts,  etc. ;  some  with 
hunches  of  live  fowls  hanging  by  the  feet  over  the  donkey's 
back.  The  people  live,  to  use  a  common  phrase,  "  from 
hand  to  mouth," — that  is,  they  lay  in  no  stores  whatever, 
and  trust  to  the  coming  day  to  supply  its  own  necessities. 
Hay,  cornstalks,  or  grain,  are  purchased  only  in  sufficient 
quantity  for  the  day's  consumption.  So  with  meats,  so 
with  fruits,  so  with  everything.  When  it  is  necessary  to 
send  to  the  market,  the  steward  or  stewardess  of  the  house, 
always  a  negro  man  or  woman,  is  freely  entrusted  with  the 
required  sum,  and  purchases  according  to  his  or  her  judg- 
ment and  taste.  The  cash  system  is  universally  adopted, 
and  all  articles  are  regularly  paid  for  when  purchased. 
The   Monteros,  who   thus  bring  their  produce  to  market. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  103 

wear  broad  palm-leaf  hats,  and  striped  shirts  over  brown 
pantaloons,  with  a  sword  by  their  side,  and  heavy  spurs 
upon  their  heels.  Their  load  once  disposed  of,  with  a  strong 
cigar  lighted  in  their  mouths,  they  trot  back  to  the  country 
again  to  pile  up  the  panniers,  .and  on  the  morrow  once  more 
to  supply  the  wants  of  the  town.  They  are  an  industrious 
and  manly  race  of  yeomanry. 

Few  matters  strike  the  observant  stranger  with  a  stronger 
sense  of  their  peculiarity  than  the  Cuban  milk-man's  mode 
of  supplying  that  necessary  aliment  to  his  town  or  city  cus- 
tomers. He  has  no  cart  filled  with  shining  cans,  and  they 
in  turn  filled  with  milk  (or  what  purports  to  be  milk,  but 
which  is  apt  strongly  to  savor  of  Cochituate  or  Croton), 
so  there  can  be  no  deception  as  to  the  genuine  character  of 
the  article  which  he  supplies.  Driving  his  sober  kine  from 
door  to  door,  he  deliberately  milks  just  the  quantity  required 
by  each  customer,  delivers  it,  and  drives  on  to  the  next. 
The  patient  animal  becomes  as  conversant  with  the  residence 
of  her  master's  customers  as  he  is  himself,  and  stops  unbid- 
den at  regular  intervals  before  the  proper  houses,  often  fol- 
lowed by  a  pretty  little  calf  which  amuses  itself  by  gazing  at 
the  process,  while  it  wears  a  leather  muzzle  to  prevent  its 
interference  with  the  suj)ply  of  milk  intended  for  another 
quarter.  There  are  doubtless  two  good  reasons  for  this 
mode  of  delivering  miilk  in  Havana  and  the  large  towns  of 
Cuba.  First,  there  can  be  no  diluting  of  the  article,  and 
second,  it  is  sure  to  be  sweet  and  fresh,  this  latter  a  parti- 


104  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

cular  desideratum  in  a  climate  where  milk  without  ice  can 
be  kept  only  a  brief  period  without  spoiling.  Of  course, 
the  effect  upon  the  animal  is  by  no  means  salutary,  and  a 
Cuban  cow  gives  but  about  one  third  as  much  milk  as  our 

own.  Goats  are  driven  about  and  milked  in  the  same  manner. 

» 

Glass  windows  are  scarcely  known  even  in  the  cities.  The 
finest  as  well  as  the  humblest  town  houses  have  the  broad 
projecting  window,  secured  only  by  heavy  iron  bars  (most 
prison-like  in  aspect),  through  which,  as  one  passes  along 
the  narrow  streets,  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  avoid  glancing 
upon  domestic  scenes  that  exhibit  the  female  portion  of  the 
family  engaged  in  sewing,  chatting,  or  some  simple  occupa- 
tion. Sometimes  a  curtain  intervenes,  but  even  this  is  un- 
usual, the  freest  circulation  of  air  being  always  courted  in 
every  way.=*  Once  inside  of  the  dwelling  houses  there  are 
few  doors,  curtains  alone  shutting  off  the  communication 
between  chambers  and  private  rooms,  and  from  the  corridor 
upon  which  they  invariably  open.  Of  course,  the  curtain 
when  down  is  quite  sufficient  to  keep  out  persons  of  the 
household  or  strangers,  but  the  little  naked  negro  slave 
children  (always  petted  at  this  age),  male  and  female,  creep 
under  this  ad  libitum^  and  the  monkeys,  parrots,  pigeons, 
and  fowls  generally  make  common  store  of  every  nook  and 
corner.     Doors  might  keep  these  out  of  your  room,  but 

*  "  Doors  and  windows  are  all  open.  The  eye  penetrates  the  whole  in- 
terior of  domestic  life,  from  the  flowers  in  the  well-watered  court  to  the 
daughter's  bed,  with  its  white  muslin  curtains  tied  with  rose-colored  rib- 
bons."— Countess  Merlin'' s  Letters. 


HISTORY   OP   CUBA.  105 

curtains  do  not.  One  reason  why  the  Cubans,  of  both  sexes, 
possess  such  fine  expansive  chests,  is  doubtless  the  fact  that 
their  lungs  thus  find  full  and  unrestrained  action,  living,  as 
it  were,  ever  in  the  open  air.  The  eifect  of  this  upon  the 
stranger  is  at  once  visible  in  ^  sense  of  physical  exhilara- 
tion, fine  spirits  and  good  appetite.  It  would  be  scarcely 
possible  to  inhabit  a  house  built  after  our  close,  secure  style, 
if  it  were  placed  in  the  city  of  Havana,  or  even  on  an  in- 
land plantation  of  the  island.  The  town  houses  are  always 
accessible  upon  the  roofs,  where  during  the  day  the  laun- 
dress takes  possession,  but  at  evening  they  are  frequently 
the  family  resort,  where  the  evening  cigar  is  enjoyed,  and 
the  gossip  of  the  day  discussed,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  sea 
breeze  that  sweeps  in  from  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

Just  outside  the  city  walls  of  Havana,  and  on  the  imme- 
diate sea-coast,  lies  the  Campo  Santo,  or  public  cemetery, 
not  far  from  the  city  prison.  It  is  approached  by  a  long 
street  of  dilapidated  and  miserable  dwellings,  and  is  not  at- 
tractive to  the  eye,  though  the  immediate  entrance  is  through 
cultivated  shrubbery.  A  broad,  thick  wall  encloses  the 
cemetery,  in  which  oven-like  niches  are  prepared  for  the 
reception  of  the  coffins,  containing  the  better  or  more 
wealthy  classes,  while  the  poor  are  thrown  into  shallow 
graves,  sometimes  several  together,  not  unfrequently 
negroes  and  whites,  without  a  coffin,  quicklime  being  freely 
used  to  promote  decomposition,     in  short,  the  whole  idea. 


106  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

and  every  association  of  the  Campo  Santo,  is  of  a  repulusive 
and  disagreeable  character. 

This  irreverent  treatment  of  the  dead,  and  the  neglected 
condition  of  their  place  of  sepulture,  is  a  sad  feature  in  a 
Christian  country.,  contrasting  strongly  with  the  honors  paid 
to  the  memory  of  the  departed  by  semi-civilized  and  even 
savage  nations.  We  all  know  the  sacredness  that  is  at- 
tached by  the  Turks  to  their  burial  grounds,  how  the  mourn- 
ful cypresses  are  taught  to  rise  among  the  turbaned  tomb- 
stones, and  how  the  survivors  are  wont  to  sit  upon  the  graves 
of  the  departed,  musing  for  hours  over  the  loved  and  lost, 
and  seeming  to  hold  communion  with  their  liberated  spirits.  - 
How  different  is  it  here  with  the  Campo  Santo  !  The  bit- 
terest pang  that  an  Indian  endures  when  compelled  to  leave 
his  native  hunting  grounds,  is  that  he  must  abandon  the 
place  where  the  ashes  of  his  ancestors  repose.  The  enligh- 
tened spirit  which  removes  cemeteries  from  the  centre  of 
dense  population  is  worthy  of  all  commendation  — the  taste 
that  adorns  them  with  trees  and  flowers,  beautifying  the 
spot  where  the  "  last  of  earth  "  reposes,  is  a  proof  of  high- 
toned  feeling  and  a  high  civilization.  Nothing  of  this  spirit 
is  manifested  at  Havana.  The  establishment  of  the  ceme- 
tery w^ithout  the  walls  of  the  city  was  a  sanitary  measure, 
dictated  by  obvious  necessity,  but  there  the  march  of  im- 
provement stopped.  No  effort  has  been  made  to  follow 
the  laudable  example  of  other  countries  ;  no,  the  Spanish 
character,  arrogant  and  self-sufficient,  will  not  bend  to  be 


HISTORY  .OF    CUBA.  107 

taught  by  others,  and  will  not  admit  a  possibility  of  error, 
and  they  are  as  closely  wedded  to  national  prejudices  as  the 
Chinese.  Spain  is,  at  this  moment,  the  most  old-fashioned 
country  of  Christendom,  and  it  is  only  when  pressed  upon  by 
absolute  necessity  that  she  reluctantly  admits  of  innovation. 

Tacon,  during  his  rule  in  the  island,  erected  outside  the 
city  walls,  and  near  the  gate  of  La  Punta,  on  th'e  shore,  a 
spacious  prison,  capable  of  accommodating  five  thousand 
prisoners.  It  is  quadrangular,  each  side  being  some  three 
hundred  feet  long  and  fifty  high,  enclosing  a  central  square, 
planted  with  shrubbery  and  watered  by  a  cooling  and  grace- 
ful fountain.  The  fresh  breeze  circulates  freely  through  its 
wallS;  and  it  is  considered  one  of  the  healthiest  spots,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  capital,  while  it  certainly  presents  a  strong 
contrast  to  the  neglected  precincts  of  the  Campo  Santo, 
hard  by. 

The  fish-market  of  Havana  afibrds  probably  the  best 
variety  of  this  article  of  any  city  in  the  world.  The  long 
marble  counters  display  the  most  novel  and  tempting  array 
that  one  can  well  imagine  ;  every  hue  of  the  rainbow  is  re- 
presented, and  a  great  variety  of  shapes.  But  a  curse 
hangs  over  this  species  of  food,  plenty  and  fine  as  it  is,  for 
it  is  made  a  government  monopoly,  and  none  but  its  agents 
are  permitted  to  sell  or  to  catch  it  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city. 
This  singular  law,  established  under  Tacon,  is  of  peculiar 
origin,  and  we  cannot  perhaps  do  better  than  tell  the  story, 
as  gathered  on  the  spot,  for  the  amusement  of  the  reader. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


One  of  the  most  successful  villains  whose  story  will  be 
written  in  history,  is  a  man  named  Marti,  as  well  known' in 
Cuba  as  the  person  of  the  governor-general  himself  For- 
merly he  was  notorious  as  a  smuggler  and  half  pirate  on  the 
coast  of  the  island,  being  a  daring  and  accomplished  leader 
of  reckless  men.  At  one  time  he  bore  the  title  of  King  of 
the  Isle  of  Pines,  where  was  his  principal  rendezvous,  and 
from  whence  he  despatched  his  vessels,  small,  fleet  crafts, 
to  operate  in  the  neighboring  waters. 

His  story,  well  known  in  Cuba  and  to  the  home  govern- 
ment, bears  intimately  upon  our  subject. 

When  Tacon  landed  on  the  island,  and  became  governor- 
general,  he  found  the  revenue  laws  in  a  sad  condition,  as 
well  as  the  internal  regulations  of  the  island ;  and,  with  a 
spirit  of  mingled  justice  and  oppression,  he  determined  to 
do  something  in  the  way  of  reform.^  The  Spanish  marine 
sent  out  to  regulate  the  maritime  matters  of  the  island,  lay 

♦^con  governed  Cuba  four  years,  from  1834  to  1838. 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  109 

idly  in  port,  the  officers  passing  their  time  on  shore,  or  in 
giving  balls  and  dances  on  the  decks  of  their  vessels. 
Tacon  saw  that  one  of  the  first  moves  for  him  to  make  was 
to  suppress  the  smuggling  upon  the  coast,  at  all  hazards ; 
and  to  this  end  he  set  himself  directly  to  work.  The  mari- 
time force  at  his  command  was  at  once  detailed  upon  this 
service,  and  they  coasted  night  and  day,  but  without  the 
least  success  against  the  smugglers.  In  vain  were  all  the 
vigilance  and  activity  of  Tacon  and  his  agents  —  they 
accomplished  nothing. 

At  last,  finding  that  all  his  expeditions  against  them 
failed,  partly  from  the  adroitness  and  bravery  of  the  smug- 
glers, and  partly  from  the  want  of  pilots  among  the  shoals 
and  rocks  that  they  frequented,  a  large  and  tempting 
reward  was  olTered  to  any  one  of  them  who  would  desert 
from  his  comrades  and  act  in  this  capacity  in  behalf  of  the 
government.  At  the  same  time,  a  double  sum,  most 
princely  in  amount,  was  offered  for  the  person  of  one  Marti, 
dead  or  alive,  who  was  known  to  be  the  leader  of  the  law- 
less rovers  who  thus  defied  the  government.  These  rewards 
were  freely  promulgated,  and  posted  so  as  to  reach  the  ears 
and  eyes  of  those  whom  they  concerned ;  but  even  these 
seemed  to  produce  no  efiect,  and  the  government  officers 
were  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed  in  the  matter. 

It  was  a  dark,  cloudy  night  in  Havana,  some  three  or 
four  months  subsequent  to  the  issuing  of  these  placards 
announcing  the  rewards  as  referred  to,  when  two  sentinels 
10 


no  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

were  pacing  backwards  and  forwards  before  the  main 
entrance  to  the  governor's  palace,  just  opposite  the  grand 
plaza.  A  little  before  midnight,  a  man,  wrapped  in  a  cloak, 
was  watching  them  from  behind  the  statue  of  Ferdinand, 
near  the  fountain,  and,  after  observing  that  the  two  sol- 
diers acting  as  sentinels  paced  their  brief  walk  so  as  to  meet 
each  other,  and  then  turn  their  backs  as  they  separated, 
leaving  a  brief  moment  in  the  interval  when  the  eyes  of 
both  were  turned  away  from  the  entrance  they  were  placed 
to  guard,  seemed  to  calculate  upon  passing  them  unob- 
served. It  was  an  exceedingly  delicate  manoeuvre,  and 
required  great  care  and  dexterity  to  effect  it :  but,  at  last, 
it  was  adroitly  done,  and  the  stranger  sprang  lightly 
through  the  entrance,  secreting  himself  behind  one  of  the 
pillars  in  the  inner  court  of  the  palace.  The  sentinels  paced 
on  undisturbed. 

The  figure  which  had  thus  stealthily  effected  an  entrance, 
now  sought  the  broad  stairs  that  led  to  the  governor's  suit 
of  apartments,  with  a  confidence  that  evinced  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  the  place.  A  second  guard-post  was  to  be 
passed  at  the  head  of  the  stairs ;  but,  assuming  an  air  of 
authority,  the  stranger  offered  a  cold  military  salute  and 
pressed  forward,  as  though  there  was  not  the  most  distant 
question  of  his  right  so  to  do ;  and  thus  avoiding  all  sus- 
picion in  the  guard's  mind,  he  boldly  entered  the  gov- 
ernor's reception  room  unchallenged,  and  closed  the  door 
behind  him.     In  a  large  easy  chair  sat  the  commander-in- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  Ill 

chief,  busily  engaged  in  writing,  but  alone.  An  expression 
of  undisguised  satisfaction  passed  across  the  weather-beaten 
countenance  of  the  new  comer  at  this  state  of  affairs,  as  he 
coolly  cast  off  his  cloak  and  tossed  it  over  his  arm,  and  then 
proceeded  to  wipe  the  perspiration  from  his  face.  The  gov- 
ernor, looking  up  with  surprise,  fixed  his  keen  eyes  upon 
the  intruder,  — 

"Who  enters  here,  unannounced,  at  this  hour?"  he 
asked,  sternly,  while  he  regarded  the  stranger  earnestly. 

' '  One  who  has  information  of  value  for  the  governor- 
general.     You  are  Tacon,  I  suppose?" 

"lam.  What  would  you  with  me?  or,  rather,  how 
did  you  pass  my  guard  unchallenged?  " 

"  Of  that  anon.  Excellency,  you  have  offered  a  hand- 
some reward  for  information  concerning  the  rovers  of  the 
gulf?" 

"Ha!  yes.  What  of  them?"  said  Tacon,  with  undis- 
guised interest. 

"Excellency,  I  must  speak  with  caution,"  continued 
the  new  comer ;  ' '  otherwise  I  may  condemn  and  sacrifice 
myself" 

"You  have  naught  to  fear  on  that  head.  The  offer  of 
reward  for  evidence  against  the  scapegraces  also  vouchsafes 
a  pardon  to  the  informant.  You  may  speak  on,  without 
fear  for  yourself,  even  though  you  may  be  one  of  the  very 
confederation  itself" 

"You  offer  a  reward,  also,  in  addition,  for  the  discovery 


112  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

of  Marti,  —  Captain  Marti,  of  the  smugglers,  —  do  you 
not?" 

"We  do,  and  will  gladly  make  good  the  promise  of 
reward  for  any  and  all  information  upon  the  subject,"' 
replied  Tacon. 

"  First,  Excellency,  do  you  give  me  your  knightly  word 
that  you  will  grant  a  free  pardon  to  me,  if  I  reveal  all  that 
you  require  to  know,  even  embracing  the  most  secret 
hiding-places  of  the  rovers?  " 

'•  I  pledge  you  my  word  of  honor,"  said  the  commander. 

"No  matter  how  heinous  in  the  sight  of  the  law  my 
offences  may  have  been,  still  you  will  pardon  me,  under  the 
king's  seal?  " 

"  I  will,  if  you  reveal  truly  and  to  any  good  purpose," 
answered  Tacon,  weighing  in  his  mind  the  purpose  of  all 
this  precaution. 

"  Even  if  I  were  a  leader  among  the  rovers,  myself?  " 

The  governor  hesitated  for  a  moment,  canvassing  in  a 
single  glance  the  subject  before  him,  and  then  said  : 

"  Even  then,  be  you  whom  you  may;  if  you  are  able 
and  will  honestly  pilot  our  ships  and  reveal  the  secrets  of 
Marti  and  his  followers,  you  shall  be  rewarded  as  our  prof- 
fer sets  forth,  and  yourself  receive  a  free  pardon." 

' '  Excellency,  I  think  I  know  your  character  well  enough 
to  trust  you,  else  I  should  not  have  ventured  here." 

"  Speak,  then  ;  my  time  is  precious,"  was  the  impatient 
reply  of  Tacon. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  113 

"  Then,  Excellency,  the  man  for  whom  you  have  offered 
the  largest  reward,  dead  or  alive,  is  now  before  you  !  " 

''  And  you  are  —  " 

''Marti!" 

The  governor-general  drew  back  in  astonishment,  and 
cast  his  eyes  towards  a  brace  of  pistols  that  lay  within 
reach  of  his  right  hand ;  but  it  was  only  for  a  single  mo- 
ment, when  he  again  assumed  entire  self-control,  and  said, 

"  I  shall  keep  my  promise,  sir,  provided  you  are  faithful, 
though  the  laws  call  loudly  for  your  punishment,  and  even 
now  you  are  in  my  power.  To  insure  your  faithfulness, 
you  must  remain  at  present  under  guard."  Saying  which, 
he  rang  a  silver  bell  by  his  side,  and  issued  a  verbal  order 
to  the  attendant  who  answered  it.  Immediately  after,  the 
officer  of  the  watch  entered,  and  Marti  was  placed  in  con- 
finement, with  orders  to  render  him  comfortable  until  he 
was  sent  for.  His  name  remained  a  secret  with  the  com- 
mander ;  and  thus  the  night  scene  closed. 

On  the  following  day,  one  of  the  men-of-war  that  lay 
idly  beneath  the  guns  of  Moro  Castle  suddenly  became  the 
scene  of  the  utmost  activity,  and,  before  noon,  had  weighed 
her  anchor,  and  was  standing  out  into  the  gulf  stream. 
Marti,  the  smuggler,  was  on  board,  as  her  pilot ;  and  faith- 
fully did  he  guide  the  ship,  on  the  discharge  of  his  treach- 
erous business,  among  the  shoals  and  bays  of  the  coast  for 
nearly  a  month,  revealing  every  secret  haunt  of  the  rovers, 
exposing  their  most  valuable  depots  and  well-selected  ren- 
10* 


114  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

dezvous;  and  many  a  smuggling  craft  was  taken  and 
destroyed.  The  amount  of  money  and  property  thus  se- 
cured was  very  great ;  and  Marti  returned  with  the  ship  to 
claim  his  reward  from  the  governor-general,  who,  well  satis- 
fied with  the  manner  in  which  the  rascal  had  fulfilled  his 
agreement,  and  betrayed  those  comrades  who  were  too  faith- 
ful to  be  tempted  to  treachery  themselves,  summoned  Marti 
before  him. 

''As  you  have  faithfully  performed  your  part  of  our 
agreement,"  said  the  governor-general,  "I  am  now  pre- 
pared to  comply  with  the  articles  on  my  part.  In  this 
package  you  will  find  a  free  and  unconditional  pardon  for 
all  your  past  ofiences  against  the  laws.  And  here  is  an 
order  on  the  treasury  for —  " 

"  Excellency,  excuse  me.  The  pardon  I  gladly  receive. 
As  to  the  sum  of  money  you  propose  to  give  to  me,  let  me 
make  you  a  proposition.  Retain  the  money;  and,  in  place 
of  it,  guarantee  to  me  the  right  to  fish  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  city,  and  declare  the  trade  in  fish  contraband  to  all 
except  my  agents.  This  will  richly  repay  me,  and  I  will 
erect  a  public  market  of  stone  at  my  own  expense,  which 
shall  be  an  ornament  to  the  city,  and  which  at  the  expira- 
tion of  a  specified  number  of  years  shall  revert  to  the  gov- 
ernment, with  all  right  and  title  to  the  fishery." 

Tacon  was  pleased  at  the  idea  of  a  superb  fish-market, 
which  should  eventually  revert  to  the  government,  and  also 
at  the  idea  of  saving  the  large  sum  of  money  covered*  by 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  115 

the  promised  reward.  The  singular  proposition  of  the 
smuggler  was  duly  considered  and  acceded  to,  and  Marti 
was  declared  in  legal  form  to  possess  for  the  future  sole 
right  to  fish  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city,  or  to  sell  the 
article  in  any  form,  and  he  at  once  assumed  the  rights  that 
the  order  guaranteed  to  him.  Having  in  his  roving  life 
learned  all  the  best  fishing-grounds,  he  furnished  the  city 
bountifully  with  the  article,  and  reaped  yearly  an  immense 
profit,  until,  at  the  close  of  the  period  for  which  the  monop- 
oly was  granted,  he  was  the  richest  man  on  the  island. 
According  to  the  agreement,  the  fine  market  and  its  privi- 
lege reverted  to  the  government  at  the  time  specified,  and 
the  monopoly  has  ever  since  been  rigorously  enforced. 

Marti,  now  possessed  of  immense  wealth,  looked  about 
him,  to  see  in  what  way  he  could  most  profitably  invest  it 
to  insure  a  handsome  and  sure  return.  The  idea  struck 
him  if  he  could  obtain  the  monopoly  of  theatricals  in 
Havana  on  some  such  conditions  as  he  had  done  that  of  the 
right  to  fish  ofi"  its  shores,  he  could  still  further  increase  his 
ill-gotten  wealth.  He  obtained  the  monopoly,  on  condition 
that  he  should  erect  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  theatres  in 
the  world,  which  he  did,  as  herein  described,  locating  the 
same  just  outside  the  city  walls.  With  the  conditions  of 
the  monopoly,  the  writer  is  not  conversant. 

Many  romantic  stories  are  told  of  Marti ;  but  the  one  we 
have  here  related  is  the  only  one  that  is  authenticated,  and 
which  has  any  bearing  upon  the  present  work. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

The  lottery  at  Havana  —  Hospitality  of  the  Spaniards  —  Flattery  — 
^uban  ladies  —  Castilian,  Parisian  and  American  politeness — The 
bonnet  in  Cuba  —  Ladies'  dresses  —  The  fan  —  Jewelry  and  its  wear 
—  Culture  of  flowers  —  Reflections  —  A  most  peculiar  narcotic  —  Cost 
of  living  on  the  island  —  Guines  —  The  cock-pit — Training  of  the 
birds  —  The  garden  of  the  world  —  Birds  of  the  tropics  —  Condition 
of  agriculture  —  Night-time  —  The  Southern  Cross  —  Natural  re- 
sources of  Cuba  —  Her  wrongs  and  oppressions. 

There  is  a  monthly  lottery  in  Havana,  with  prizes 
amounting  to  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  dollars,  and 
sometimes  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dol- 
lars, under  the  immediate  direction  and  control  of  the 
authorities,  and  which  is  freely  patronized  by  the  first  mer- 
cantile houses,  who  have  their  names  registered  for  a  cer- 
tain number  of  tickets  each  month.  The  poorer  classes, 
too,  by  clubbing  together,  become  purchasers  of  tickets, 
including  slaves  and  free  negroes ;  and  it  is  but  a  few  years 
since,  that  some  slaves,  who  had  thus  united  and  purchased 
a  ticket,  drew  the  first  prize  of  sixty  thousand  dollars; 
which  was  honestly  paid  to  them,  and  themselves  liberated 
by  tie  purchase  of  their  freedom  from  their  masters.  Hon- 
estly and  strictly  conducted  as  these  lotteries  are,  yet  their 


HISTORY   OP   CUBA.  117 

very  stability,  cand  the  just  payment  of  all  prizes,  but  makes 
them  the  more  baneful  and  dangerous  in  their  influence 
upon  the  populace.  Though  now  and  then  a  poor  man 
becomes  rich  through  their  means,  yet  thousands  are  impov- 
erished in  their  mad  zeal  to  purchase  tickets,  though  it  cost 
them  their  last  medio.  The  government  thus  countenances 
and  fosters  a  taste  for  gambling,  while  any  one  acquainted 
at  all  with  the  Spanish  character,  must  know  that  the  peo- 
ple need  no  prompting  in  a  vice  to  which  they  seem  to  take 
intuitively. 

The  Spaniards  receive  credit  for  being  a  very  hospitable 
people,  and  to  a  certain  extent  this  is  due  to  them  ;  but  the 
stranger  soon  learns  to  regard  the  extravagant  manifesta- 
tions which  too  often  characterize  their  etiquette,  as  quite 
empty  and  heartless.  Let  a  stranger  enter  the  house  of  a 
Cuban  for  the  first  time,  and  the  host  or  hostess  of  the 
mansion  says  at  once,  either  in  such  words  or  their  equiva- 
lent, ''  All  that  we  have  is  at  your  service ;  take  what  you 
will,  and  our  right  hand  with  it."  Yet  no  one  thinks  of 
understanding  this  literally.  The  family  volante  is  at  your 
order,  or  a  saddle  horse  ;  and  in  such  small  kindnesses  they 
are  indeed  polite ;  but  when  they  beg  of  you  to  accept  a 
ring,  a  book,  a  valuable  toy,  because  you  have  happened  to 
praise  it,  you  are  by  no  means  to  do  so.  Another  trait  of 
character  which  suggests  itself  in  this  connection,  is  their 
universal  habit  of  profuse  compliment.*     The  ladies  listen 

*  The  common  salutation,  on  being  introduced  or  meeting  a  lady,  is, 
"  A  los  pies  de  usted  senora  "  (at  the  feet  of  your  grace,  my  lady). 


118  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

to  them,  as  a  matter  of  course,  from  their  countrymen,  or 
from  such  Frenchmen  as  have  become  domesticated  in  the 
island ;  but  if  an  American  takes  occasion  to  compliment 
them,  they  are  at  once  delighted,  for  they  believe  them  to 
be  sincere,  and  the  matter  is  secretly  treasured  to  be 
repeated. 

The  Cuban  ladies,  with  true  feminine  acuteness,  estimate 
correctly  the  high-flown  compliments  of  their  countrymen ; 
and  the  kindred  French,  Castilian  and  Parisian  politeness  is 
of  about  equal  value,  and  means  the  same  thing, —  that  is, 
nothing.  To  strangers  it  is  very  pleasant  at  first,  but  the 
moment  it  is  apparent  that  these  profuse  protestations  of 
friendship  and  offers  of  service  are  transparent  devices,  and 
that  if  you  take  them  at  their  word  they  are  embarrassed, 
perhaps  offended,  that  you  must  be  constantly  on  your 
guard,  and  be  very  careful  to  consider  every  fine  phrase  as 
a  flower  of  rhetoric,  it  becomes  positively  disagreeable. 
Good  manners  go  a  great  way ;  and  if  a  person  does  you  a 
favor,  the  pleasure  you  experience  is  much  enhanced  by  the 
grace  with  which  the  obligation  is  conferred ;  but  there  is  a 
vast  difference  between  true  and  false  politeness.  The 
former  springs  only  from  a  good  and  true  heart ;  the  latter 
is  especially  egotistical.  Both  the  French  and  Spanish  are 
extremely  gallant  to  women;  and  yet  the  condition  of 
women  in  both  France  and  Spain  is  vastly  inferior  to  that 
of  our  fair  countrywomen,  notwithstanding  the  Spanish 
caballero  and  the  Parisian  elegant  can  couch  their  heart- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  119 

less  compliments  in  terms  our  plain  people  would  vainly 
attempt  to  imitate.  But  what  cares  a  woman  for  fine 
phrases,  if  she  knows  that  the  respect  due  to  her  sex  is 
wanting?  The  condition  of  the  women  of  Cuba  is  emi- 
nently Spanish,  and  she  is  here  too  often  the  slaye  of  pas- 
sion and  the  victim  of  jealousy. 

The  bonnet,  which  forms  so  important  a  part  of  the 
ladies'  costume  in  Europe  and  American  cities,  is  entirely 
unknown,  or,  rather,  never  worn  by  the  Creole  ladies ;  and 
strangers  who  appear  with  this  article  of  dress  are  regarded 
with  as  much  curiosity  as  we  should  be  exercised  by  to  meet 
in  our  own  streets  a  Tuscarora  chief  in  his  war-paint.  In 
place  of  the  bonnet  the  Cuban  ladies  wear  a  long  black  veil, 
gathered  at  the  back  of  the  head  upon  the  clustered  braid 
of  hair  (always  dark  and  luxuriant),  and  drawn  to  one  side 
of  the  face  or  the  other,  as  circumstances  may  require. 
More  frequently,  however,  even  this  appendage  is  not  seen, 
and  they  ride  in  the  Paseos  and  streets  with  their  heads 
entirely  uncovered,  save  by  the  sheltering  hood  of  the 
volante.  When  necessity  calls  them  abroad  during  the 
early  or  middle  hours  of  the  day,  there  is  a  canvas  screen 
buttoning  to  the  dasher,  and  extending  to  the  top  of  the 
vehicle,  forming  a  partial  shelter  from  the  sun.  This  appa- 
ratus is  universally  arranged  upon  the  volantcs  which  stand 
at  the  corners  of  the  streets  for  common  hire  ;  but  the  pri- 
vate vehicles  are  rarely  seen  much  abroad  before  the  early 
twilight,  or  just  before  sunset. 


120.  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

Full  dress,  on  all  state  occasions,  with  the  Cuban  ladies, 
is  black ;  but  white  is  worn  on  all  ordinary  ones,  forming  a 
rich  and  striking  contrast  to  the  fair  olive  complexions  of 
the  wearers.  Jewelry  is  worn  to  a  great  extent,  and,  by 
those  whd  can  afford  it,  to  the  amount  of  most  fabulous 
sums,  of  course  the  diamond  predominating ;  but  there  is  a 
general  fondness  for  opals,  garnets  and  pearls,  worn  in 
bracelets  more  particularly,  or  in  bands  about  the  hair,  at 
the  top  of  the  forehead.  There  is  one  article  without  which 
the  Cuban  lady  would  not  feel  at  home  for  a  single  mo- 
ment ;  it  is  the  fan,  which  is  a  positive  necessity  to  her,  and 
she  learns  its  coquettish  and  graceful  use  from  very  child- 
hood. Formed  of  various  rich  materials,  it  glitters  in  her 
hand  like  a  gaudy  butterfly,  now  half,  now  wholly  shading 
her  radiant  face,  which^ quickly  peeps  out  again  from  behind 
its  shelter,  like  the  moon  from  out  a  gilded  cloud.  This 
little  article  (always  rich  and  expensive),  perfectly  indis- 
pensable in  a  Cuban  lady's  costume,  in  their  hands  seems 
almost  to  speak ;  she  has  a  witching  flirt  with  it  that  ex- 
presses scorn ;  a  graceful  wave  of  complaisance ;  an  abrupt 
closing  of  it,  that  indicates  vexation  or  anger ;  a  gradual 
and  cautious  opening  of  its  folds,  that  signifies  reluctant 
forgiveness ;  in  short,  the  language  of  the  fan  in  a  Cuban's 
hand  is  an  adroit  and  expressive  pantomime,  that  requires 
no  foreign  interpreter. 

It  may  be  owing  to  the  prodigality  of  nature  in  respect 
to  Flora's  kingdom,  which  has  led  to  no  development  among 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  121 

the  people  of  Cuba,  in  the  love  and  culture  of  flowers.  Of 
course  this  remark  is  intended  in  a  general  point  of  view, 
there  necessarily  being  exceptions  to  establish  the  rule. 
But  it  is  a  rare  thing  to  see  flowers  under  cultivation  here, 
other  than  such  as  spring  up  from  the  over-fertile  soil,  un- 
planted  and  uutended.  In  New  Orleans  one  cannot  pass 
out  of  the  doors  of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  at  any  hour  of 
the  day,  without  being  saluted  first  by  the  flavor  of  magno- 
lias, and  then  by  a  Creole  flower-girl,  with  "Buy  a  bou- 
quet for  a  dime,  sir?  "  But  nothing  of  the  sort  is  seen  in 
Cuba ;  flowers  are  a  drug.  Nevertheless,  I  fear  that  people 
who  lack  an  appreciation  of  these  "illumined  scriptures  of 
the  prairie,"  show  a  want  of  delicacy  and  refinement  that 
even  an  humble  Parisian  grisette  is  not  without.  Scarcely 
can  you  pass  from  the  coast  of  Cuba  inland  for  half  a 
league,  in  any  direction,  without  your  senses  being  regaled 
by  the  fragrance  of  natural  flowers, —  the  heliotrope,  honey- 
suckle, sweet  pea,  and  orange  blossoms  predominating. 
The  jessamine  and  cape  rose,  though  less  fragrant,  are  de- 
lightful 'to  the  eye,  and  cluster  everywhere,  among  the 
hedges,  groves  and  plantations. 

There  seems  to  be,  at  times,  a  strange  narcotic  influence 
in  the  atmosphere  of  the  island,  more  especially  inland, 
where  the  visitor  is  partially  or  wholly  removed  from  the 
winds  that  usually  blow  from  the  gulf  in  the  after  part  of 
the  day.  So  potent  has  the  writer  felt  this  influence,  that 
at  first  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  effect  of  some  powerful 
11 


122  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

plant  that  might  abound  upon  the  plantations ;  but  careful 
inquiry  satisfied  him  that  this  dreamy  somnolence,  this 
delightful  sense  of  ease  and  indolent  luxuriance  of  feeling, 
was  solely  attributable  to  the  natural  effect  of  the  soft  cli- 
mate of  Cuba.  By  gently  yielding  to  this  influence,  one 
seems  to  dream  while  waking ;  and  while  the  sense  of  hear- 
ing is  diminished,  that  of  the  olfactories  appears  to  be  in- 
creased, and  pleasurable  odors  float  upon  every  passing 
zephyr.  One  feels  at  peace  with  all  human  nature,  and  a 
sense  of  voluptuous  ease  overspreads  the  body.  Others 
have  spoken  to  the  writer  of  this  feeling  of  idle  happiness, 
which  he  has  himself  more  than  once  experienced  in  the 
delightful  rural  neighborhood  of  Alquizar.  The  only  un- 
pleasant realizing  sense  during  the  enjoyment  of  the  condi- 
tion referred  to,  is  the  fear  that  some  human  voice,  or  some 
chance  noise,  loud  and  abrupt,  shall  arouse  the  waking 
dreamer  from  a  situation  probably  not  unlike  the  pleasanter 
effect  of  opium,  without  its  unpleasant  reaction. 

As  it  regards  the  cost  of  living  in  the  island,  it  may  be 
said  to  average  rather  high  to  the  stranger,  though  it  is 
declared  that  the  expense  to  those  who  permanently  reside 
here,  either  in  town  or  country,  is  cheaper,  all  things  con- 
sidered, than  in  the  United  States.  At  the  city  hotels  and 
best  boarding-houses  of  Havana  and  Matanzas,  the  charge 
is  three  dollars  per  day,  unless  a  special  bargain  is  made  for 
a  considerable  period  of  time.  Inland,  at  the  houses  of 
public  entertainment,  the  charge  per  diem  is,  of  course,  con- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  123 

Biderablj  less ;  and  the  native  style  of  living  is  nearly  the 
same  within  or  out  of  the  city.  The  luscious  and  healthful 
fruits  of  the  tropics  form  a  large  share  of  the  provision  for 
the  table,  and  always  appear  in  great  variety  at  dessert. 
Good  common  claret  wine  is  regularly  placed  before  the 
guest  without  charge,  it  being  the  ordinary  drink  of  the 
people.  As  to  the  mode  of  cooking,  it  seems  to  be  very 
like  the  French,  though  the  universal  garlic,  which  appears 
to  be  a  positive  necessity  to  a  Spanish  palate,  is  very  apt  to 
form  a  disagreeable  preponderance  in  the  flavor  of  every 
dish.  Fish,  meat  and  fowl  are  so  disguised  with  this  arti- 
cle and  with  spices,  that  one  is  fain  to  resort  to  the  bill  of  * 
fare,  to  ascertain  of  what  he  is  partaking.  The  vegetable 
soups  of  the  city  houses  (but  for  the  garlic)  are  excellent, 
many  of  the  native  vegetables  possessing  not  only  admirable 
flavor,  and  other  desirable  properties  for  the  pur^wse,  but 
being  also  glutinous,  add  much  to  the  properties  of  a  prep- 
aration answering  to  the  character  of  our  Julian  soup. 
Oysters,  though  plentiful  on  the  coast,  are  of  inferior  qual- 
ity, and  are  seldom  used  for  the  table ;  but  pickled  oysters 
from  the  United  States  are  largely  used  in  the  cities. 

One  of  the  pleasantest  places  of  resort  for  enjoyment  on 
the  whole  island,  is  probably  the  town  of  Guines,  connected 
with  Havana  by  a  railroad  (the  first  built  upon  the  soil  of 
Cuba),  and  but  a  few  leagues  from  the  capital.*     This 

*  San  Julian  de  los  Guines  contains  from  two  to  tliree  thousand  inhab- 
itants. 


124  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

locality  is  thought  to  be  one  of  the  most  salubrious  and  ap- 
propriate for  invalids,  and  has  therefore  become  a  general 
resort  for  this  class,  possessing  several  good  public  houses, 
and  in  many  respects  is  quite  Americanized  with  regard  to 
comforts  and  the  necessities  of  visitors  from  the  United 
States.  In  Guines,  and  indeed  in  all  Cuban  towns,  vil- 
lages, and  even  small  hamlets,  there  is  a  spacious  cock-pit, 
where  the  inhabitants  indulge  in  the  sport  of  cock-fighting, 
—  an  absorbing  passion  with  the  humble,  and  oftentimes 
with  the  better  classes.  This  indulgence  is  illustrative  of 
their  nature, —  that  is,  the  Spanish  nature  and  blood  that  is 
in  them, —  a  fact  that  is  equally  attested  by  their  participa- 
tion in  the  fearful  contest  of  the  bull-fight.  It  is  really 
astonishing  how  fierce  these  birds  become  by  training ;  and 
they  always  fight  until  one  or  the  other  dies,  unless  they 
are  interfered  with.  The  amount  of  money  lost  and  won  by 
this  cruel  mode  of  gambling  is  very  large  daily.  Ladies 
frequently  attend  these  exhibitions,  the  upper  seats  being 
reserved  for  them ;  and  they  may,  not  unfrequently,  be 
seen  entering  fully  into  the  excitement  of  the  sport. 

The  cock-pit  is  a  large  or  small  circular  building,  not 
unlike,  in  external  appearance,  to  a  New  England  out-door 
hay-stack,  its  dimensions  being  governed  by  the  populous- 
ness  of  the  locality  where  it  is  erected.  The  seats  are 
raised  in  a  circle,  around  a  common  centre,  where  the  birds 
are  fought,  or  "pitted,"  upon  prepared  ground,  covered 
with  saw-dust  or  tan.     The  cocks,  Avhich  are  of  a  peculiar 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  125 

species  of  game  birds,  are  subjected  from  chickenhood,  so  to 
speak,  to  a  peculiar  course  of  treatment.  Their  food  is  reg- 
ularly weighed,  and  so  many  ounces  of  grain  are  laid  out  for 
each  day's  consumption,  so  that  the  bird  is  never  permitted 
to  grow  fat,  but  is  kept  in  "condition"  at  all  times.  The 
feathers  are  kept  closely  cropped  in  a  jaunty  style,  and 
neck  and  head,  to  the  length  of  three  inches  or  more,  are 
completely  plucked  of  all  feathers,  and  daily  rubbed  with 
aguadiente  (island  rum),  until  they  become  so  calloused 
that  they  are  insensible  to  any  ordinary  wound  which  its 
antagonist  might  inflict.  Brief  encounters  are  encouraged 
among  them  while  they  are  young,  under  proper  restric- 
tions, and  no  fear  is  had  of  their  injuring  themselves,  until 
they  are  old  enough  to  have  the  steel  gaffs  afiixed  upon 
those  which  nature  has  given  them.  Then,  like  armed 
men,  with  swords  and  daggers,  they  attack  each  other,  and 
the  blood  will  flow  at  every  stroke,  the  conflict  being  in  no 
degree  impeded,  nor  the  birds  affrighted,  by  the  noisy  cries, 
jeers,  and  loud  challenges  of  the  excited  horde  of  gamblers 
who  throng  all  sides  of  the  cock-pit.* 

Cuba  has  been  justly  styled  the  garden  of  the  world,  per- 
petual summer  smiling  upon  its  favored  shores,  and  its  nat- 
ural wealth  almost  baffling  the  capacity  of  estimation.  The 
waters  which  surround  it,  as  we  have  already  intimated, 
abound  with  a  variety  of  fishes,  whose  bright  colors,  cmu- 

*  The  English  game-cock  is  prized  in  Cuba  only  for  crossing  the  breed, 
for  he  cannot  equal  the  Spanish  bird  in  agility  or  endurance. 

11* 


126  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

lating  the  tints  of  precious  stones  and  the  prismatic  hues 
of  the  rainbow,  astonish  the  eye  of  the  stranger.  Stately 
trees  of  various  species,  the  most  conspicuous  being  the 
royal  palm,  rear  their  luxuriant  foliage  against  the  azure 
heavens,  along  the  sheltered  bays,  by  the  way-side,  on  the 
swells  of  the  haciendas,  delighting  the  eye  of  the  traveller, 
and  diversifying  the  ever-charming  face  of  the  tropical 
landscape.  Through  the  woods  and  groves  flit  a  variety  of 
birds,  whose  dazzling  colors  defy  the  palette  of  the  artist. 
Here  the  loquacious  parrot  utters  his  harsh  natural  note ; 
there  the  red  flamingo  stands  patiently  by  the  shore  of  the 
lagoon,  watching  in  the  waters,  dyed  by  the  reflection  of  his 
plumage,  for  his  unconscious  prey.  It  would  require  a 
volume  to  describe  the  vegetable,  animal  and  mineral  king- 
dom of  Cuba.  Among  the  most  familiar  birds,  and  those 
the  names  of  which  even  the  casual  observer  is  apt  to  learn, 
are  the  Cuba  robin,  the  blue-bird,  the  cat-bird,  the  Spanish 
woodpecker,  the  gaudy-plumed  parrot,  the  pedoreva,  with 
its  red  throat  and  breast  and  its  pea-green  head  and  body. 
There  is  also  a  great  variety  of  wild  pigeons,  blue,  gray 
and  white;  the  English  ladybird,  as  it  is  called,  with  a 
blue  head  and  scarlet  breast,  and  green  and  white  back ; 
the  indigo-bird,  the  golden-winged  woodpecker,  the  ibis,  the 
flamingo,  and  many  smaller  species,  like  the  humming-bird. 
Parrots  settle  on  the  sour  orange  trees  when  the  fruit  is 
ripe,  and  fifty  may  be  secured  by  a  net  at  a  time.  The 
Creoles  stow  and  eat  them  as  we  do  the  pigeon  ;  the  flesh  is 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  127 

rather  tough,  and  as  there  are  plenty  of  fine  water  and 
marsh  birds  about  the  lagoons,  which  are  most  tender  and 
palatable,  one  is  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  taste  that  leads 
the  people  to  eat  the  parrot.  The  brown  pelican  is  very 
plenty  on  the  sea-coast,  like  the  gull  off  our  own  shores, 
and  may  be  seen  at  all  times  sailing  lazily  over  the  sea,  and 
occasionally  dipping  for  fish.  Here,  as  among  other  tropi- 
cal regions,  and  even  in  some  southern  sections  of  this 
country,  the  lazy-looking  bald-headed  vulture  is  protected 
by  law,  being  a  sort  of  natural  scavenger  or  remover  of 
carrion. 

The  agriculturists  of  the  island  confine  their  attention 
almost  solely  to  the  raising  of  sugar,  coffee  and  tobacco, 
almost  entirely  neglecting  Indian  corn  (which  the  first  set- 
tlers found  indigenous  here),  and  but  slightly  attending  to 
the  varieties  of  the  orange.*  It  is  scarcely  creditable  that, 
when  the  generous  soil  produces  from  two  to  three  crops 
annually,  the  vegetable  wealth  of  this  island  should  be  so 
poorly  developed.  It  is  capable  of  supporting  a  population 
of  almost  any  density,  and  yet  the  largest  estimate  gives 
only  a  million  and  a  half  of  inhabitants.  On  treading  the 
fertile  soil,  and  on  beholding  the  clustering  fruits  offered  on 
all  sides,  the  delicious  oranges,  the  perfumed  pine-apples, 
the  luscious  bananas,  the  cooling  cocoanuts,  and  other  fruits 


*  Three  years  after  the  seed  of  the  orange  tree  is  deposited  in  tlie  soil, 
the  tree  is  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  high,  and  the  fourth  year  it  produces  a 
hundred  oranges.  At  ten  years  of  age  it  bears  from  three  to  four  thou- 
sand, thus  proving  vastly  profita])le. 


128  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

for  which  our  language  has  no  name,  we  are  struck  with  the 
thought  of  how  much  Providence,  and  how  little  man,  has 
done  for  this  Eden  of  the  Gulf  We  long  to  see  it  peopled 
by  men  who  can  appreciate  the  gifts  of  nature,  men  who  are 
willing  to  do  their  part  in  reward  for  her  bounty,  men  who 
will  meet  her  half  way  and  second  her  spontaneous  efforts.* 
Nowhere  on  the  face  of  the  globe  would  intelligent  labor 
meet  with  a  richer  reward, —  nowhere  on  the  face  of  the 
globe  would  repose  from  labor  be  so  sweet.  The  hour  of 
rest  here  sinks  upon  the  face  of  nature  with  a  peculiar 
charm ;  the  night  breeze  comes  with  its  gentle  wing  to  fan 
the  weary  frame,  and  no  danger  lurks  in  its  career.  It  has 
free  scope  through  the  unglazed  windows.  Beautifully  blue 
are  the  heaveiis,  and  festally  bright  the  stars  of  a  tropical 
night.  Preeminent  in  brilliancy  among  the  constellations 
is  the  Southern  Cross,  a  galaxy  of  stars  that  never  greets 
us  in  the  north.  At  midnight  its  glittering  framework 
stands  erect ;  that  solemn  hour  passed,  the  Cross  declines,  f 
How  glorious  the  night  where  such  a  heavenly  sentinel  indi- 
cates its  watches  !  Cuba  is  indeed  a  land  of  enchantment, 
where  nature  is  beautiful,  and  where  mere  existence  is  a 
luxury,  but  it  requires  the  infusion  of  a  sterner,  more  self- 


*  "  This  favored  land  -wants  nothing  but  me7i  to  turn  its  advantages  to 
account,  and  enjoy  their  results,  to  be  acknowledged  as  the  garden  of  the 
world." dlexatider  H.  Everett. 

t  Humboldt  tells  us  that  he  has  often  heard  the  herdsmen  in  South 
America  say,  *'  Midnight  is  past  —  the  Southern  Cross  begins  to 
bend." 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  129 

denying  and  enterprising  race  to  fully  test  its  capabilities, 
and  to  astonish  the  world  with  its  productiveness. 

We  have  thus  dilated  upon  the  natural  resources  of  Cuba, 
and  depicted  the  charms  that  rest  about  her ;  but  every  pic- 
ture has  its  dark  side,  and  the  political  situation  of  the  island 
is  the  reverse  in  the  present  instance.  Her  wrongs  arc  mul- 
tifarious, and  the  restrictions  placed  upon  her  by  her  op- 
pressors are  each  and  all  of  so  heinous  and  tyrannical  a 
character,  that  a  chapter  upon  each  would  be  insufficient 
to  place  them  in  their  true  light  before  the  world.  There 
is,  however,  no  better  way  of  placing  the  grievances  of  the 
Cubans,  as  emanating  from  the  home  government,  clearly 
before  the  reader,  than  by  stating  such  of  them  as  occur 
readily  to  the  writer's  mind  in  brief:  — 

She  is  permitted  no  voice  in  the  Cortes ;  the  press  is  un- 
der the  vilest  censorship ;  farmers  are  compelled  to  pay  ten 
per  cent,  on  all  their  harvest  except  sugar,  and  on  that  arti- 
cle two  and  a  half  per  cent. ;  the  island  has  been  under 
martial  law  since  1825;  over  |23, 000,000  of  taxes  are 
levied  upon  the  inhabitants,  to  be  squandered  by  Spain ;  ice 
is  monopolized  by  the  government ;  flour  is  so  taxed  as  to 
be  inadmissible  ;  a  Creole  must  purchase  a  license  before  he 
can  invite  a  few  friends  to  take  a  cup  of  tea  at  his  board ; 
there  is  a  stamped  paper,  made  legally  necessary  for  special 
purposes  of  contract,  costing  eight  dollars  per  sheet ;  no 
goods,  either  in  or  out  of  doors,  can  be  sold  without  a  license ; 
the   natives  of  the  island  are   excluded   entirely  from  the 


130  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

army,  the  judiciary,  the  treasury,  and  the  customs;  the 
military  government  assumes  the  charge  of  the  schools; 
the  grazing  of  cattle  is  taxed  exorbitantly ;  newspapers 
from  abroad,  with  few  exceptions,  are  contraband :  letters 
passing  through  the  post  are  opened  and  purged  of  their 
contents  before  delivery  ;  fishing  on  the  coast  is  forbidden, 
being  a  government  monopoly ;  planters  are  forbidden  to 
send  their  sons  to  the  United  States  for  educational  pur- 
poses ;  the  slave-trade  is  secretly  encouraged  by  govern- 
ment ;  no  person  can  remove  from  one  house  to  another 
without  first  paying  for  a  government  permit :  all  cattle  (the 
same  as  goods)  that  are  sold  must  pay  six  per  cent,  of  their 
value  to  government :  in  short,  every  possible  subterfuge  is 
resorted  to  by  the  government  officials  to  swindle  the  peo- 
ple,* everything  being  taxed,  and  there  is  no  appeal  from 
the  decision  of  the  captain-general ! 

*  "  No  such  extent  of  taxation,  as  is  now  enforced  in  Cuba,  was  ever 
known  or  heard  of  before  in  any  part  of  the  woi'ld  ;  and  no  community, 
relying  solely  on  the  products  of  its  own  labor,  could  possibly  exist 
under  it."  —  Alexander  H.  Everett. 


Ill      / 


-;fil' 


4 


CHAPTER    X. 

The  volante  and  its  belongings  —  The  ancient  town  of  Regla  —  The  arena 
for  the  bull-fights  at  Havana —  A  bull-fight  as  witnessed  by  the  author 
at  Regla  —  A  national  passion  with  the  Spanish  people  —  Compared 
with  old  Roman  sports  —  Famous  bull-fighters  —  Personal  description  of 
Cuban  ladies  —  Description  of  the  men  —  Romance  and  the  tropics  — 
The  nobility  of  Cuba  —  Sugar  noblemen  —  The  grades  of  society  — 
The  yeomanry  of  the  island  —  Their  social  position — What  they  might 
be  —  Love  of  gambling. 

The  volante,  that  one  vehicle  of  Cuba,  has  been  several 
times  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  pages.  It  is  difficult  with- 
out experience  to  form  an  idea  of  its  extraordinary  ease  of 
motion  or  its  appropriateness  to  the  peculiarities  of  the 
country. 'f^  It  makes  nothing  of  the  deep  mud  that  accom- 
panies the  rainy  season,  but,  with  its  enormous  wheels,  six 
feet  in  diameter,  heavy  shafts,  and  low-hung,  chaise-like 
body,  it  dashes  over  and  through  every  impediment  with  the 
utmost  facility.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  very  light 
upon  the  horse,  which  is  also  bestridden  by  the  postilion,  or 
callsero.  When  travelling  any  distance  upon  the  road,  a 
second  horse  is  added  on  the  left,  abreast,  and  attached  to 

*  "  When  I  first  saw  the  rocking  motion  of  the  volante  as  it  drove  along 
the  stieets,  I  thought  '  that  must  be  an  extremely  disagreeable  carriage  ! ' 
but  when  I  was  seated  in  one,  I  seemed  to  myself  rocked  in  a  cloud.  I 
have  never  felt  an  easier  motion*"  —  Miss  Bremer's  Letters. 


132  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

the  volante  by  an  added  -whiffletree  and  traces.  When  there 
are  two  horses  in  this  style,  the  postilion  rides  the  one  to 
the  left;  leaving  the  shaft  horse  free  of  other  weight  than 
that  of  the  vehicle. 

When  the  roads  are  particularly  bad  and  there  is  more 
than  usual  weight  to  carry,  of  baggage,  etc.,  a  third  horse 
is  often  used,  but  he  is  still  placed  abreast  with  the  others, 
to  the  right  of  the  shaft  horse,  and  guided  by  a  bridle  rein 
in  the  hands  of  the  calisero.  The  Spaniards  take  great 
pride  in  these  volantes,  especially  those  improved  for  city 
use,  and  they  are  often  to  be  met  with  elaborately  mounted 
with  silver,  and  in  many  instances  with  gold,  wrought  with 
great  skill  and  beauty.  There  were  volantes  pointed  out  to 
the  writer,  of  this  latter  character,  in  Havana,  that  could 
not  have  cost  less  than  two  thousand  dollars  each,  and  this 
for  a  two-wheeled  vehicle.  A  volante  equipped  in  this 
style,  with  the  gaily  dressed  calisero,  his  scarlet  jacket  elab- 
orately trimmed  with  silver  braid,  his  high  jack-boots  with 
silver  buckles  at  the  knee,  and  monstrous  spurs  upon  his 
heels,  with  rowels  an  inch  long,  makes  quite  a  dashing  ap- 
pearance, especially  if  a  couple  of  blackeyed  Creole  ladies 
happen  to  constitute  the  freight.  Thus  they  direct  their 
way  to  the  Tacon  Paseo,  to  meet  the  fashion  of  the  town  at 
the  close  of  the  day  —  almost  the  only  out-door  recreation 
for  the  sex. 

Of  all  the  games  and  sports  of  the  Cubans,  that  of  the 
bull-fight  is  the  most  cruel   and   fearful,  and  without  one 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  133 

redeeming  feature  in  its  indulgence.  The  arena  for  the 
exhibitions  in  the  neighborhood  of  Havana  is  just  across  the 
harbor  at  Regla,  a  small  town,  having  a  most  worn  and 
dilapidated  appearance.*  This  place  was  formerly  the  haunt 
of  pirates,  upon  whose  depredations  and  boldness  the  gov- 
ernment, for  reasons  best  known  to  itself,  shut  its  official 
eyes  ;  more  latterly  it  has  been  the  hailing  place  for  slavers, 
whose  crafts  have  not  yet  entirely  disappeared,  though  the 
rigor  of  the  English  and  French  cruisers  in  the  Gulf  has  ren- 
dered it  necessary  for  them  to  seek  a  less  exposed  rendez- 
vous. Of  the  Spanish  marine  they  entertain  no  fear ;  there 
is  the  most  perfect  understanding  on  this  point,  treaty  stip- 
ulations touching  the  slave-trade,  between  Spain,  England 
and  France,  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. f  But  we 
were  referring  to  the  subject  of  the  bull-fights.  The  arena 
at  Regla,  for  this  purpose,  is  a  large  circular  enclosure  of 
sufficient  dimensions  to  seat  six  thousand  people,  and  afford- 
ing perhaps  a  little  more  than  half  an  acre  of  ground  for 
the  fight. 

The  seats  are  raised  one  above  another  in  a  circle  around, 
at  a  secure  height  from  the  dangerous  struggle  which  is 
sure  to  characterize  each  exhibition.  On  the  occasion  when 
the  writer  was  present,  after  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  a  large 
bull  was  let  loose  from  a  stall  opening  into  the  pit  of  the 

*  Regla  now  contains  some  seven  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  chiefly 
-engaged  in  the  exportation  of  molasses,  which  is  here  kept  in  large  tanks. 

t  An  intelligent  letter-writer  estimates  the  present  annual  importation 
of  slaves  at  not  less  than  10,000  souls,  direct  from  Africa. 

12 


134  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

enclosure,  where  three  Spaniards  {toreadors)^  one  on 
foot  and  two  on  horseback,  were  ready  to  receive  him,  the 
former  armed  with  a  sword,  the  latter  with  spears.  They 
were  three  hardened  villains,  if  the  human  countenance  can 
be  relied  upon  as  shadowing  forth  the  inner  man,  seemingly 
reckless  to  the  last  degree,  but  very  expert,  agile,  and  wary. 
These  men  commenced  at  once  to  worry  and  torment  the 
bull  until  they  should  arouse  him  to  a  state  of  frenzy.  Short 
spears  were  thrust  into  his  neck  and  sides  with  rockets 
attached,  which  exploded  into  his  very  flesh,  burning  and 
affrighting  the  poor  creature.  Thrusts  frOm  the  horsemen's 
spears  were  made  into  his  flesh,  and  while  he  was  bleeding 
thus  at  every  pore,  gaudy  colors  were  shaken  before  his 
glowing  eyes ;  and  wherever  he  turned  to  escape  his  tor- 
mentors, he  was  sure  to  be  met  with  some  freshly  devised 
expedient  of  torment,  until  at  last  the  creature  became 
indeed  perfectly  infuriated  and  frantically  mad.  Now  the 
fight  was  in  earnest ! 

In  vain  did  the  bull  plunge  gallantly  and  desperately  at 
his  enemies,  they  were  far  too  expert  for  him.  They  had 
made  this  game  their  business  perhaps  for  years.  Each  rush 
he  made  upon  them  was  easily  avoided,  and  he  passed  them 
by,  until,  in  his  headlong  course,  he  thrust  his  horns  deep 
into  the  boards  of  the  enclosure.  The  idea,  of  course,  was 
not  to  give  him  any  fatal  wounds  at  the  outset,  and  thus 
dispatch  him  at  once,  but  to  worry  and  torment  him  to  the 
last.     One  of  the  gladiators  now  attacked  him  closely  with 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  135 

the  sword,  and  dexterously  wounded  him  in  the  back  of  the 
neck  at  each  plunge  the  animal  made  towards  him,  at  the 
same  time  springing  on  one  side  to  avoid  the  shock.  After 
a  long  fight  and  at  a  grand  flourish  of  trumpets,  the  most 
skilful  of  the  swordsmen  stood  firm  and  received  the  infu- 
riated beast  on  the  point  of  his  weapon,  which  was  aimed  at 
a  fatal  spot  above  the  frontlet,  leading  direct  to  the  brain. 
The  effect  was  electrical,  and  like  droppmg  the  curtain  upon 
a  play :  the  animal  staggered,  reeled  a  moment,  and  fell 
dead  !  Three  bulls  were  thus  destroyed,  the  last  one  in  his 
frenzy  goring  a  fine  spirited  horse,  on  which  one  of  the  glad- 
iators was  mounted,  to  death,  and  trampling  his  rider  fear- 
fully. During  the  exhibition,  the  parties  in  the  arena  were 
encouraged  to  feats  of  daring  by  the  waving  of  handker- 
chiefs and  scarfs  in  the  hands  of  the  fair  senoras  and  seno- 
ritas.  Indeed  there  is  generally  a  young  girl  trained  to  the 
business,  who  takes  a  part  in  the  arena  with  the  matadors 
against  the  bull.  The  one  thus  engaged,  on  the  occasion 
here  referred  to,  could  not  have  exceeded  seventeen  years 
in  age.^ 

Whatever  colonial  modifications  the  Spanish  character 
may  have  undergone  in  Cuba,  the  Creole  is  Castilian  still 
in  his  love  for  the  cruel  sports  of  the  arena,  and  there  is  a 
great  similarity  between  the  modern  Spaniards  and  the  an- 

*  "  One  of  tlie  chief  featui-es  in  this  sport,  and  which  attracted  so  many, 
myself  among  the  number,  was  a  young  and  beautiful  girl,  as  lovely  a 
creature  as  Heaven  ever  smiled  upon,  being  one  of  the  chief  actresses  in 
the  exciting  and  thrilling  scene."  —  Rev.  L.  L.  Allen's  Lecture. 


136  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

cient  Romans  in  this  respect.  As  the  Spanish  language 
more  closely  resembles  Latin  than  Italian,  so  do  the  Span- 
ish people  show  more  of  Roman  blood  than  the  natives  of 
Italy  themselves.  Pcmem  et  circenses  (bread  and  cir- 
cuses !)  was  the  cry  of  the  old  Roman  populace,  and  to 
gratify  their  wishes  millions  of  sesterces  were  lavished,  and 
hecatombs  of  human  victims  slain,  in  the  splendid  amphi- 
theatres erected  by  the  masters  of  the  world  in  all  the  cities 
subjected  to  their  sway.  And  so  pa7i  y  toros  (bread  and 
bulls  !)  is  the  imperious  demand  of  the  Spaniards,  to  which 
the  government  always  promptly  responds. 

The  parallel  may  be  pursued  still  further :  the  loveliest 
ladies  of  Rome  gazed  with  rapture  upon  the  dying  agonies 
of  the  gladiators  who  hewed  each  other  in  pieces,  or  the 
Christians  who  perished  in  conflict;  with  the  wild  beasts  half 
starved  to  give  them  battle  !  The  beauteous  senoras  and 
senoritas  of  Madrid  and  Havana  enjoy  with  a  keen  delight 
the  terrible  spectacle  of  bulls  speared  by  the  jncador^ 
or  gallant  horses  ripped  up  and  disembowelled  by  the 
horns  of  their  brute  adversaries.  It  is  true  that  the  ame- 
liorating spirit  of  Christianity  is  evident  in  the  changes 
which  the  arena  has  undergone ;  human  lives  are  not  sac- 
rificed wholesale  in  the  combats  ;  and  yet  the  bull-fight 
is  sufficiently  barbarous  and  atrocious.  It  is  a  national 
institution,  and,  as  an  indication  of  national  character,  is 
well  worthy  of  attention,  however  repulsive  to  the  sensi- 
tive  mind.     The  queen  of  England  is  sometimes  pres- 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  137 

ent  on  the  race-track,  so  also  the  queen  of  Spain  occupies 
the  royal  box  at  the  great  bull-festas  of  Madrid.  A  skil- 
ful bull-fighter  is  a  man  of  mark  and  distinction.  Montez 
was  regarded  by  the  Spaniards  of  this  generation  with 
nearly  as  much  respect  as  Don  Rodriguez  de  Bivar  in  the 
days  of  the  Moorish  wars,  to  such  a  point  has  the  vaunted 
chivalry  of  Spain  degenerated  !  Sometimes  Spanish  nobles 
enter  the  arena,  and  brave  peril  and  death ^for  the  sake  of 
the  applause  bestowed  upon  the  successful  torero^  and 
many  lives  are  lost  annually  in  this  degrading  sport. 

Few  professional  bull-fighters  reach  an  advanced  age ; 
their  career  in  the  arena  is  almost  always  short,  and  they 
cannot  avoid  receiving  severe  wounds  in  their  dangerous 
career.  Pepe  Illo,  a  famous  Spanish  picador,  was  wounded 
no  less  than  twenty-six  times,  and  finally  killed  by  a  bull. 
This  man  and  another  noted  torero^  named  Eomero,  were 
possessed  of  such  undaunted  courage,  that,  in  order  to  excite 
the  interest  of  the  spectators,  they  were  accustomed  to  con- 
front the  bull  with  fetters  upon  their  feet.  Another  famous 
picador  in  the  annals  of  the  arena  was  Juan  Sevilla,  who 
on  one  occasion  was  charged  furiously  by  an  Andalusian  bull 
which  overthrew  both  horse  and  rider.  The  savage  animal, 
finding  that  the  legs  of  his  fallen  antagonist  were  so  well 
protected  by  the  iron-ribbed  hide  of  the  pantaloons  the  bull- 
fighters wear  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  an  impression  on 
them,  lowered  his  horns  with  the  intention  of  striking  him 
in  the  face ;  but  the  dauntless  picador,  seizing  one  of  the 
12^ 


138  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

bull's  ears  in  his  right  hand,  and  thrusting  the  fingers  of 
the  other  into  his  nostrils,  after  a  horrible  struggle  com- 
pelled him  to  retire.  Then,  when  every  one  looked  to  see 
him  borne  out  of  the  ring  dying,  he  rose  to  his  feet,  called 
for  a  fresh  horse  and  lance,  and  bounding  into  the  saddle, 
attacked  the  bull  in  the  centre  of  the  ring,  and  driving  the 
iron  up  to  the  shaft  in  his  neck,  rolled  him  over  dead. 
"0,"  says  an  enthusiastic  eye-witness  of  this  prodigious 
feat,  "  if  you  had  heard  the  vivas,  if  you  had  witnessed 
the  frantic  joy,  the  crazy  ecstasy  at  the  display  of  so 
much  courage  and  good  fortune,  like  me  you  would  have 
envied  the  lot  of  Sevilla."  Such  are  some  of  the  dangers 
and  excitements  of  the  bull-ring ;  such  is  the  character  of 
some  of  the  scenes  which  the  gentle  ladies  of  Cuba  have 
learned,  not  to  endure,  but  to  welcome  with  delight. 

To  look  upon  these  ladies,  you  could  not  possibly  imagine 
that  there  was  in  them  sufficient  hardihood  to  witness  such 
exhibitions.  They  are  almost  universally  handsome,  in  per- 
son rather  below  the  height  of  the  sex  with  us,  but  with  an 
erect  and  dignified  carriage,  and  with  forms  always  rounded 
to  a  delicate  fullness,  displaying  a  tendency  to  enbonjjoint 
quite  perfection  itself  in  point  of  model.*  The  hair  is 
aJways  black  and  profuse,  the  complexion  a  light  olive, 
without  a  particle  of  carmine,  the  eyes  —  a  match  for  the 
hair  in  color  —  are  large  and  beautifully  expressive,  with  a 

*  '*  The  waist  is  slender,  but  never  compressed  by  corsets,  so  that  it  re- 
tains all  its  natural  proportions." —  Countess  Merlin^ s  Letters. 


HISTORY   OF  CUBA.  139 

most  irresistible  dash  of  languor  in  them.*  It  is  really 
difficult  to  conceive  of  a  homely  woman  with  such  eyes  as  you 
are  sure  to  find  them  endowed  with  in  Cuba.  They  have 
been  justly  famed  also  for  their  graceful  carriage,  and,  in- 
deed, it  is  the  very  poetry  of  motion,  singular  as  it  may 
seem  when  it  is  remembered  that  for  them  to  walk  abroad  is 
such  a  rarity.  It  is  not  simply  a  progressive  move,  but  the 
harmonious  play  of  features,  the  coquettish  undulation 
of  the  face,  the  exquisite  disposition  of  costume,  and  modu- 
lation of  voice,  rich,  liquid  and  sweet  as  the  nightingale's, 
that  engage  the  beholder,  and  lend  a  happy  charm  to  the 
majestic  grace  of  every  attitude  and  every  step.  It  is  a 
union,  a  harmonious  consort  of  all  these  elements,  that  so 
beautifies  the  carriage  of  the  Cuban  ladies. 

The  men  are,  also,  generally  speaking,  manly  and  good- 
looking,  though  much  lighter,  smaller  and  more  agile,  than 
the  Americans.  The  lazy  life  that  is  so  universally  led  by 
them  tends  to  make  them  less  manly  in  physical  develop- 
ment than  a  life  of  activity  would  do.  It  seems  to  be  an 
acknowledged  principle  among  them  never  to  do  that  for 
themselves  that  a  slave  can  do  for  them, —  a  fact  that  is 
very  plainly  demonstrated  by  the  style  of  the  volante,  where 
the  little  horse  is  made  not  only  to  draw  after  him  the  vehi- 
cle and  its  contents,  but  also  to  carry  upon  his  back  a  heavy 


t  "  They  have  plump  figures,  placid,  unwrinkled  countenances,  well- 
developed  busts,  and  eyes  the  brilliant  languor  of  which  is  not  the  languor 
of  illness."  — PV.  C.  BryanVs  Letters. 


140  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

negro,  weighed  down  with  jack-boots  and  livery,  as  a  driver, 
when  a  pair  of  reins  extending  from  the  bridle  to  the  vo- 
lante  would  obviate  all  necessity  for  the  negro's  presence  at 
all.  But  a  Creole  or  Spaniard  would  think  it  demeaning 
to  drive  his  own  volante ;  the  thing  is  never  seen  on  the 
island.  The  climate,  we  know,  induces  to  this  sense  of  ease. 
AVith  abundance  of  leisure,  and  the  ever-present  influences 
of  their  genial  clime,  where  the  heart's  blood  leaps  more 
swiftly  to  the  promptings  of  the  imagination  —  where  the 
female  form  earliest  attains  its  wonted  beauty  and  longest 
holds  its  sway  over  the  heart  —  the  West  Indies  seem  pecu- 
liarly adapted  for  romance  and  love.  The  consequent  ad- 
ventures among  the  people  are  very  numerous,  and  not, 
oftentimes,  without  startling  interest,  affording  such  themes 
and  plots  as  a  French  feidlleionist  might  revel  in.  An 
ungraceful  woman  is  not  to  be  found  on  the  island ;  whether 
bred  in  the  humble  cottage  of  the  Montero,  or  in  the  luxu- 
^ant  mansion  of  the  planter  or  citizen,  she  is  sure  to  evince 
ill  the  ease  and  grace  of  polished  life.  Your  heart  is  bound 
to  them  at  once,  when  on  parting  they  give  you  kindly  the 
Spanish  benediction,  "  Go,  senor,  in  a  good  hour." 

The  nobility  of  Cuba,  so  called,  is  composed  of  rather 
original  material,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  and  forms  rather 
a  funny  "  institution."  There  may  be  some  thirty  gentle- 
men dubbed  with  the  title  of  Marquis,  and  as  many  more 
with  that  of  Count,  most  of  both  classes  having  acquired 
their  wealth  by  the  carrying  on  of  extensive  sugar  planta- 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  141 

tions.  These  are  sneeringly  designated  by  the  humbler 
classes  as  "  sugar  noblemen,"  nearly  all  of  these  aristocratic 
gentlemen  having  bought  their  titles  outright  for  moncyj 
not  the  least  consideration  being  had  by  the  Spanish  throne 
as  to  the  fitness  of  the  individual  even  for  this  nominal 
honor,  save  a  due  consideration  for  the  amount  of  the  would- 
be  noble's  fortune.  Twenty-five  thousand  dollars  will  pur- 
chase either  title.  And  yet,  the  tone  of  Cuban  society  may 
be  said  to  be  eminently  aristocratic,  and,  in  certain  circles, 
very  exclusive.  The  native  of  old  Spain  does  not  endeavor 
to  conceal  his  contempt  of  foreigners  and  the  Creoles,  shield- 
ing his  inferiority  of  intelligence  under  a  cloak  of  hauteur ; 
and  thus  the  Castilians  and  Creoles  form  two  quite  distinct 
classes  in  the  island, —  a  distinction  which  the  home  gov- 
ernment endeavor  to  foster  and  promote  in  every  way,  for 
obvious  reasons  of  their  own. 

The  sugar  planter,  the  cofiee  planter,  the  merchant,  the 
liberal  professions  and  the  literati  (this  last  a  meagre  class 
in  numbers),  stand  about  in  the  order  in  vrhich  we  have 
written  them,  as  it  regards  their  relative  degrees  or  social 
position,  but  wealth  has  the  same  charm  here  as  in  every 
part  of  Christendom,  and  the  millionaire  has  the  entree  to 
all  classes.  The  Monteros,  or  yeomanry  of  Cuba,  inhal)it 
the  less-cultivated  portions  of  the  soil,  venturing  into  the 
cities  only  to  sell  their  surplus  produce,  acting  as  "  mar- 
ket-men ' '  for  the  cities  m  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
their  homes.     When  they  stir  abroad  they  are  always  armed 


142  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

cap-a-pie  with  sword  and  pistols,*  and,  indeed,  every  one 
carries  arms  upon  the  inland  roads  of  Cuba.  Formerly 
this  was  a  most  indispensable  precaution,  though  weapons 
are  now  rarely  brought  into  use.  The  arming  of  the  Mon- 
teros,  however,  has  always  been  encouraged  by  the  author- 
ities, as  they  thus  form  a  sort  of  mounted  militia  at  all  times 
available,  and,  indeed,  not  only  the  most  effective,  but  about 
the  only  available  arm  of  defence  against  negro  insurrec- 
tions. The  Montero  is  rarely  a  slave-owner  himself,  but 
frequently  is  engaged  on  the  plantations  during  the  busy 
season  as  an  extra  overseer.  He  is  generally  a  hard  task- 
master to  the  slave,  having  an  intuitive  hatred  for  the 
blacks. 

The  Monteros  f  form  an  exceedingly  important  and  inter- 
esting class  of  the  population  of  the  island.  They  marry 
very  young, —  the  girls  from  thirteen  to  fifteen,  the  young 
men  from  sixteen  to  twenty, —  and  almost  universally  rear- 
ing large  families.  Their  increase  during  the  last  twenty 
years  has  been  great,  and  they  seem  to  be  fast  approaching 
to  a  degree  of  importance  that  will  make  them,  like  the 
American  farmers,  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  land.     The 


*  "  The  broadsword  dangles  by  the  side  of  the  gentleman,  and  holsters 
are  inseparable  from  his  saddle  ;  the  simplest  countryman,  on  his  straw 
saddle,  belts  on  his  rude  cutlass,  and  every  man  with  a  skin  less  dark 
than  an  African  appears  ready  for  encounter."  —  Rev.  Abiel  Abbot's 
Letters. 

t  "  They  are  men  of  manly  bearing,  of  thin  make,  but  often  of  a  good 
figure,  with  well-spread  shoulders,-  which,  however,  have  a  stoop  in 
them,  contracted,  I  suppose,  by  riding  always  with  a  short  stirrup."  — 
W.  C.  Bryant's  Letters. 


HISTORY    OF  CUBA.  143 

great  and  glaring  misfortune  of  their  present  situation,  is 
the  want  of  intelligence  and  cultivation ;  books  they  have 
none,  nor,  of  course,  schools.  It  is  said  that  they  have 
been  somewhat  aroused,  of  late,  from  this  condition  of  leth- 
argy concerning  education,  and  that  efforts  are  being  made 
amono:  them  to  a  considerable  extent  to  afford  their  children 
opportunity  for  instruction.  Physically  speaking,  they  are 
a  fine  yeomanry,  and,  if  they  could  be  rendered  intelligent, 
would  in  time  become  what  nature  seems  to  have  designed 
them  for, —  the  real  masters  of  the  country. 

There  is  one  fact  highly  creditable  to  the  Monteros,  and- 
that  is  their  temperate  habits,  as  it  regards  indulgence  in 
stimulating  drinks.  As  a  beverage,  they  do  not  use  ardent 
spirits,  and  seem  to  have  no  taste  for  the  article,  though  at 
times  they  join  the  stranger  in  a  social  glass.  I  doubt  if 
any  visitor  ever  saw  one  of  this  class  in  the  least  intoxicated. 
This  being  the  fact,  they  are  a  very  reliable  people,  and  can 
be  counted  upon  in  an  emergency.  As  to  the  matter  of 
temperance,  it  needs  no  missionaries  in  the  island,  for  prob- 
ably there  is  not  so  large  a  tract  of  territory  in  Europe  or 
America,  as  this  island,  where  such  a  degree  of  temperance 
is  observed  in  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks.  Healths  are 
drunk  at  table,  but  in  sparing  draughts,  while  delicious 
fruits  fill  up  the  time  devoted  to  dessert. 

There  is  probably  but  one  vice  that  the  Monteros  may  be 
said  to  be  addicted  to,  or  which  they  often  indulge  in,  and 
that  IS  one  which  is  so  natural  to  a  Spaniard,  and  the  appli- 


144  '  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

ances  for  which  are  so  constantly  at  hand,  in  the  shape  of 
the  cock-pit,  that  it  is  not  a  -wonder  he  should  be  seduced  by 
the  passion  of  gambling.  Many  of  the  more  intelligent 
avoid  it  altogether,  but  with  others  it  appears  to  be  a  part 
and  parcel  of  their  very  existence.  In  the  cities,  as  we 
have  already  shown,  the  government  encourage  and  patron- 
ize the  spirit  of  gaming,  as  they  derive  from  its  practice, 
by  charging  exorbitant  licences,  etc.,  a  heavy  sum  annually. 


CHAPTER    XI, 

A  sugar  plantation  —  Americans  employed  —  Slaves  on  the  plantations  — 
A  coffee  plantation  —  Culture  of  coflfee,  sugar  and  tobacco  —  statistics 
of  agriculture  —  Tlie  cucullos,  or  Cuban  fire-fly  —  Novel  ornaments 
worn  by  the  ladies  —  The  Cuban  mode  of  harnessing  oxen  —  The  mon- 
tero  and  his  horse  —  Curious  style  of  out-door  painting — Petty  annoy- 
ances to  travellers  —  Jealousy  of  the  authorities  —  Japan-like  watch- 
fulness—  Questionable  policy  —  Political  condition  of  Cuba. 

The  sugar  plantations  are  the  least  attractive  in  external 
appearance,  but  the  most  profitable,  pecuniarily,  of  all 
agricultural  investments  in  the  tropics.  They  spread  out 
their  extensive  fields  of  cane  without  any  relief  whatever  to 
the  eye,  save  here  and  there  the  tall,  majestic  and  glorious 
palm  bending  gracefully  over  the  undergrowth.  The 
income  of  some  of  the  largest  sugar  plantations  in  Cuba  is 
set  down  as  high  as  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  per 
annum,  the  lowest  perhaps  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  Some  of  them  still  employ  ox-power  for  grinding 
the  cane ;  but  American  steam-engines  are  fast  taking  the 
place  of  animal  power,  and  mere  or  less  are  monthly  ex- 
ported for  this  purpose  from  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Boston.  This  creates  a  demand  for  engineers  and  machin- 
13 


146  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

ists,  for  whom  the  Cubans  are  also  dependent  upon  this 
country ;  and  there  are  said  to  be  at  this  time  two  hundred 
Bostonians  thus  engaged,  at  a  handsome  remuneration, 
upon  the  island.  A  Spaniard  or  Creole  would  as  soon 
attempt  to  flj  as  he  would  endeavor  to  learn  how  properly 
to  run  a  steam-engine.  As  this  happens  to  be  a  duty  that 
it  is  not  safe  to  entrust  to  even  a  faithful  slave,  he  is  there- 
fore obliged  to  send  abroad  for  foreign  skill,  and  to  pay  for 
it  in  round  numbei-s. 

During  the  manufacturing  season  a  large,  well-managed 
sugar  plantation  exhibits  a  scene  of  the  utmost  activity  and 
unremitting  labor.  The  planter  must  ' '  make  hay  while 
the  sun  shines  ;  "  and  when  the  cane  is  ripe  no  time  must 
be  lost  in  expressing  the  juice.  Where  oxen  are  employed, 
they  often  die  of  over-work  before  the  close  of  the  season, 
and  the  slaves  are  allowed  but  five  hours  for  sleep,  though 
during  the  rest  of  the  year  the  task  of  the  negroes  is  com- 
paratively light,  and  they  may  sleep  ten  hours  if  they 
choose. ^^  In  society,  the  sugar  planter  holds  a  higher  rank 
than  the  coffee  planter,  as  we  have  indicated  in  the  classifi- 
cation already  given ;  probably,  however,  merely  as  in  the 
scale  of  wealth,  for  it  requires  nearly  twice  the  amount  of 


*  According  to  the  Spanish  slave  code,  the  slave  can  be  kept  at  work  in 
Cuba  only  from  sunrise  till  sunset,  with  an  interval  for  repose  at  noon 
of  two  hours.  But  this  is  not  regarded  in  the  manufacturing  season, 
which,  after  all,  the  slaves  do  not  seem  to  dread,  as  they  are  granted 
more  privileg:es  at  this  period,  and  are  better  fed,  with  more  variety  of 
meats  and  spices,  with  other  agreeable  indulgences. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  147 

capital  to  carry  on  the  former  that  is  required  to  perfect  the 
business  of  the  latter,  both  in  respect  to  the  number  of 
hands  and  also  as  it  relates  to  machinery.  But,  as  the 
sugar  plantation  surpasses  the  coffee  in  wealth,  so  the  coffee 
plantation  surpasses  the  sugar  in  every  natural  beauty  and 
attractiveness. 

A  coffee  plantation  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  gardens 
that  can  well  be  conceived  of;  in  its  variety  and  beauty 
baffling  correct  description,  being  one  of  those  peculiar 
characteristics  of  the  low  latitudes  which  must  be  seen  to  be 
understood.  An  estate  devoted  to  this  purpose  usually 
covers  some  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  planted  in  regu- 
lar squares  of  eight  acres,  and  intersected  by  broad  alleys 
of  palms,  mangoes,  oranges,  and  other  ornamental  and 
beautiful  tropical  trees.*  Mingled  with  these  are  planted 
lemons,  pomegranates,  cape  jessamines,  and  a  species  of 
wild  heliotrope,  fragrant  as  the  morning.  Conceive  of  this 
beautiful  arrangement,  and  then  of  the  whole  when  in 
flower ;  the  coffee,  with  its  milk-white  blossoms,  so  abun- 
dant that  it  seems  as  though  a  pure  white  cloud  of  snow 
had  fallen  there  and  left  the  rest  of  the  vegetation  fresh  and 
green.  Interspersed  in  these  fragrant  alleys  is  the  red  of 
the  Mexican  rose,  the  flowering  pomegranate,  and  the  large, 
gaudy  flower  of  the  penon,  shrouding  its  parent  stem  in  a 
cloak  of  scarlet,  with  wavings  here  and  there  of  the  grace- 

*  The  coffee-tree  requires  to  be  protected,  at  least  partially,  from  the 
gun  ;  hence  the  planting  of  bananas  and  other  trees  in  their  midst. 


148  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

ful  yellow  flag,  and  many  bewitchingly-fragrant  -wild 
flowers,  twining  their  tender  stems  about  the  base  of  these. 
In  short,  a  coffee  plantation  is  a  perfect  floral  El  Dorado, 
with  every  luxury  (except  ice)  the  heart  could  wish.  The 
writer's  experience  was  mainly  gained  upon  the  estate  of 
Dr.  Finlay,  a  Scotch  physician  long  resident  in  Cuba,  and 
who  is  a  practising  physician  in  Havana.  He  has  named 
his  plantation,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  plant- 
ers, with  a  fancy  title,  and  calls  it  pleasantly  Buena  Espe- 
ranza  (good  hope). 

The  three  great  staples  of  production  and  exportation  are 

sugar,  coffee  and  tobacco.     The  sugar-cane  {arundo  sac- 

chariferd)  is  the  great  source  of  the  wealth  of  the  island. 

Its  culture  requires,  as  we  have  remarked  elsewhere,  large 

capital,  involving  as  it  does  a  great  number  of  hands,  and 

many  buildings,  machines,  teams,  etc.     We  are  not  aware 

that  any  attempt  has   ever   been   made  to  refine  it  on  the 

island.     The  average  yield  of  a  sugar  plantation  affords  a 

profit  of  about  fifteen   per  cent,  on  the  capital  invested. 

Improved  culture  and  machinery  have  vastly  increased  the 

productiveness  of  the  sugar  plantations.     In  1775  there 

^     were  four  hundred  and  fifty-three   mills,  and  the  crops  did 

A    not  yield  quite  one  million  three  hundred  thousand  arrobas 

v^  I    (an   arroba  is  twenty-five   pounds).     Fifty  years  later,  a 

'    I   thousand  mills  produced  eight  million  arrobas ;  that  is  to 

I  say,  each  mill  produced  six  times  more  sugar.     The  Cuban 

\  Bugar  has  the  preference  in  all  the  markets  of  Europe.     Its 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  149 

manufacture  yields,  besides,  molasses,  which  forms  an 
important  article  of  export.  A  liquor,  called  aguadiente^ 
is  manufactured  in  large  quantities  from  the  molasses. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  cane  cultivated  on  the  island. 
The  Otaheitian  cane  is  very  much  valued.  A  plantation 
of  sugar-cane  requires  renewal  once  in  about  seven  years. 
The  canes  are  about  the  size  of  a  walking-stick,  are  cut  off 
near  the  root,  and  laid  in  piles,  separated  from  the  tops, 
and  then  conveyed  in  carts  to  the  sugar-mill,  where  they 
are  unladen.  Women  are  employed  to  feed  the  mills, 
which  is  done  by  throwing  the  canes^  into  a  sloping  trough, 
from  which  they  pass  between  the ,  mill-stones  and  are 
ground  entirely  dry.  The  motive  power  is  supplied  either 
by  mules  and  oxen,  or  by  steam.  Steam  machinery  is 
more  and  more  extensively  employed,  the  best  machines 
being  made  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  The  dry  canes,  after 
the  extraction  of  the  juice,  are  conveyed  to  a  suitable  place 
to  be  spread  out  and  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sun ;  after 
which  they  are  employed  as  fuel  in  heating  the  huge  boilers 
in  which  the  cane-juice  is  received,  after  passing  through 
the  tank,  where  it  is  purified,  lime-water  being  there  em- 
ployed to  neutralize  any  free  acid  and  separate  vegetable 
matters.  The  granulation  and  crystallization  is  effected  in 
large  flat  pans.  After  this,  it  is^  broken  up  or  crushed, 
and  packed  in  hogsheads  or  boxes  for  exportation.  A  plan- 
tation is  renewed  by  laying  the  green  canes  horizontally  in 
the  ground,  when  new  and  vigorous  shoots  spring  up  from 
13=^ 


160  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

every  joint,  exhibiting  the  almost  miraculous  fertility  of  the 
soil  of  Cuba  under  all  circumstances. 

The  coffee-plant  {caffea  Arabica)  is  less  extensively 
cultivated  on  the  island  than  formerly,  being  found  to  yield 
only  four  per  cent,  on  the  capital  invested.  This  plant 
was  introduced  by  the  French  into  Martinique  in  1727, 
and  made  its  appearance  in  Cuba  in  1769.  It  requires 
some  shade,  and  hence  the  plantations  are,  as  already  de- 
scribed, diversified  by  alternate  rows  of  bananas,  and  other 
useful  and  ornamental  tropical  shrubs  and  trees.  The  de- 
cadence of  this  branch  of  agriculture  was  predicted  for 
years  before  it  tool^  place,  the  fall  of  prices  being  fore- 
seen ;  but  the  calculations  of  intelligent  men  were  disre- 
garded, simply  because  they  interfered  with  their  own  esti- 
mate of  profits.  When  the  crash  came,  many  coffee  raisers 
entirely  abandoned  the  culture,  while  the  wiser  among  them 
introduced  improved  methods  and  economy  into  their  busi- 
ness, and  were  well  rewarded  for  their  foresight  and  good 
judgment.  The  old  method  of  culture  was  very  careless 
and  defective.  The  plants  were  grown  very  close  together, 
and  subjected  to  severe  pruning,  while  the  fruit,  gathered 
by  hand,  yielded  a  mixture  of  ripe  and  unripe  berries.  In 
the  countries  where  the  coffee-plant  originated,  a  very  dif- 
ferent method  is  pursued.  The  Arabs  plant  the  trees  much 
further  apart,  allow  them  to  grow  to  a  considerable  height, 
and  gather  the  crop  by  shaking  the  trees,  a  method  which 
secures  only  the  ripe  berries.     A  coffee  plantation  managed 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  161 

in  this  way,  and  combined  with  the  culture  of  vegetables 
and  fruits  on  the  same  ground,  would  yield,  it  is  said,  a 
dividend  of  twelve  per  cent,  on  the  capital  employed ;  but 
the  Cuban  agriculturists  have  not  yet  learned  to  develop 
the  resources  of  their  favored  island. 

Tobacco.  This  plant  (jiicotiana  tabaciim)  is  indige- 
nous to  America,  but  the  most  valuable  is  that  raised  in 
Cuba.  Its  cultivation  is  costly,  for  it  requires  a  new  soil 
of  uncommon  fertility,  and  a  great  amount  of  heat.  It  is 
very  exhausting  to  the  land.  It  does  not,  it  is  true, 
require  much  labor," nor  costly  machinery  and  implements. 
It  is  valued  according  to  the  part  of  the  island  in  which  it 
grows.  That  of  greatest  value  and  repute,  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  high  cost  cigars,  is  grown  in  the  most 
westerly  part  of  the  island,  known  popularly  as  the  Vuelta 
de  Abajo.  But  the  vfhole  western  portion  of  the  island  is 
not  capable  of  producing  tobacco  of  the  best  quality.  The 
region  of  superior  tobacco  is  comprised  within  a  parallelo- 
gram of  twenty-nine  degrees  by  seven.  Beyond  this,  up 
to  the  meridian  of  Havana,  the  tobacco  is  of  fine  color,  but 
inferior  aroma  (tlie  Countess  Merlin  calls  this  aroma  the 
vilest  of  smells)  ;  and  the  former  circumstance  secures  it 
the  preference  of  foreigners.  From  Consolacion  to  San 
Christoval,  the  tobacco  is  very  hot,  in  the  language  of  the 
growers,  but  harsh  and  strong,  and  from  San  Christoval  to 
Guanajay,  with  the  exception  of  the  district  of  Las  Vir- 
tudes,  the  tobacco  is  inferior,  and  continues  so  up  to  Hoi- 


152  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

guin  y  Cuba,  where  we  find  a  better  quality.  The  fertile 
valley  of  Los  Guines  produces  poor  smoking  tobacco,  but 
an  article  excellent  for  the  manufacture  of  snuff.  On  the 
banks  of  the  Rio  San  Sebastian  are  also  some  lands  which 
yield  the  best  tobacco  in  the  whole  island.  From  this  it 
may  be  inferred  how  great  an  influence  the  soil  produces  on 
the  good  quality  of  Cuban  tobacco ;  and  this  circumstance 
operates  more  strongly  and  directly  than  the  slight  differ- 
ences of  climate  and  position  produced  by  immediate  locali- 
ties. Perhaps  a  chemical  analysis  of  the  soils  of  the  Vuelta 
de  Abajo  would  enable  the  intelligent  cultivator  to  supply 
to  other  lands  in  the  island  the  ingredients  wanting  to 
produce  equally  good  tobacco.  The  cultivators  in  the 
Vuelta  de  Abajo  are  extremely  skilful,  though  not  scien- 
tific. The  culture  of  tobacco  yields  about  seven  per  cent, 
on  the  capital  invested,  and  is  not  considered  to  be  so  profit- 
able on  the  island  as  of  yore. 

Cacao,  rice,  plantains,  indigo,  cotton,  sago,  yuca  (a  fari- 
naceous plant,  eaten  like  potatoes),  Indian  corn,  and  many 
other  vegetable  productions,  might  be  cultivated  to  a  much 
greater  extent  and  with  larger  profit  than  they  yield.  We 
are  astonished  to  find  that  with  the  inexhaustible  fertility  of 
the  soil,  with  an  endless  summer,  that  gives  the  laborer  two 
and  three  crops  of  some  articles  a  year,  agriculture  gener- 
ally yields  a  lower  per  centage  than  in  our  stern  northern 
latitudes.  The  yield  of  a  caballeria  (thirty-two  and  seven- 
tenths  acres)  is  as  follows  : 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  153 


Sugar, 

.       $2,500 

Indian  corn,  2  crops,  $1,500 

Coffee, 

750 

Rice,           .         .         1,000 

Tobacco, 

3,000 

Sago,      .         .         .     1,500 

Cacao,     . 

.     5,000 

Plantains,    .         .         2,500 

Indigo, 

2,000 

Yuca,      .         .         .     1,000 

It  must  be  remembered  that  there  are  multitudes  of 
fruits  and  vegetable  productions  not  enumerated  above, 
■vN'hich  do  not  enter  into  commerce,  and  which  grow  wild. 
No  account  is  taken  of  them.  In  the  hands  of  a  thrifty 
population,  Cuba  would  blossom  like  a  rose,  as  it  is  a  gar- 
den growing  wild,  cultivated  here  and  there  in  patches,  but 
capable  of  supporting  in  ease  a  population  of  ten  times  its 
density. 

About  th«  coffee  plantations,  and,  indeed,  throughout  the 
rural  parts  of  the  island,  there  is  an  insect  called  a  cucuUos, 
answering  in  its  nature  to  our  fire-fly,  though  quadruple  its 
size,  which  floats  in  phosphorescent  clouds  over  the  vegeta- 
tion. One  at  first  sight  is  apt  to  compare  them  to  a  shower 
of  stars.  They  come  in  multitudes,  immediately  after  the 
wet  or  rainy  season  sets  in,  and  there 'is  consequently  great 
rejoicing  among  the  slaves  and  children,  as  well  as  children 
of  a  larger  growth.  They  are  caught  by  the  slaves  and 
confined  in  tiny  cages  of  wicker,  giving  them  sufficient  light 
for  convenience  in  their  cabins  at  night,  and,  indeed,  form- 
ing all  the  lamps  they  are  permitted  to  have.  Many  are 
brought  into  the  city  and  sold  by  the  young  Creoles,  a  half- 


154  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

dozen  for  a  paseta  (twenty-five  cents).  Ladies  not  unfre- 
quentlj  carry  a  small  cage  of  silver  attached  to  their  brace- 
lets, containing  four  or  five  of  them,  and  the  light  thus 
emitted  is  lilve  a  candle.  Some  ladies  wear  a  belt  of  them 
at  night,  ingeniously  fastened  about  the  waist,  and  some- 
times even  a  necklace,  the  efiect  thus  produced  being  highly 
amusing.  In  the  ball-rooms  they  are  sometimes  worn  in 
the  flounces  of  the  ladies'  dresses,  and  they  seem  nearly  as 
brilliant  as  diamonds.  Strangely  enough,  there  is  a  natural 
hook  near  the  head  of  the  Cuban  fire-fly,  by  which  it  can 
be  attached  to  any  part  of  the  dres§  without  any  apparent 
injury  to  the  insect  itself;  this  the  writer  has  seen  appa- 
rently demonstrated,  though,  of  course,  it  could  not  be 
strictly  made  clear.  The  town  ladies  pet  these  cucullos, 
and  feed  them  regularly  with  sugar  cane,  «f  which  the 
insects  partake  with  infinite  relish  ;  but  on  the  plantations, 
when  a  fresh  supply  is  wanted,  they  have  only  to  wait  until 
the  twilight  deepens,  and  a  myriad  can  be  secured  without 
trouble. 

The  Cubans  have  a  queer,  but  yet  excellent  mode  of 
harnessing  their  oxen,  similar  to  that  still  in  vogue  among 
eastern  countries.  The  yoke  is  placed  behind  the  horns, 
at  the  roots,  and  so  fastened  to  them  with  thongs  that  they 
draw,  or,  rather,  push  by  them,  without  chafing.  The 
animals  always  have  a  hole  perforated  in  their  nostrils, 
through  which  a  rope  is  passed,  serving  as  reins,  and  ren- 
dering them  extremely  tractable ;    the  wildest  and  most 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  155 

stubborn  animals  are  completely  subdued  by  this  mode  of 
controlling  them,  and  can  be  led  unresisting  anywhere. 
This  mode  of  harnessing  seems  to  enable  the  animal  to  brfng 
more  strength  to  bear  upon  the  purpose  for  which  he  is 
employed,  than  when  the  yoke  is  placed,  as  is  the  case  with 
us,  about  the  throat  and  shoulders.  It  is  laid  down  in 
natural  history  that  the  greatest  strength  of  horned  animals 
lies  in  the  head  and  neck,  but,  in  placing  the  yoke  on  the 
breast,  we  get  it  out  of  reach  of  both  head  and  neck,  and 
the  animal  draws  the  load  behind  by  the  mere  force  of  the 
weight  and  impetus  of  body,  as  given  by  the  limbs. 
Would  n't  it  be  worth  while  to  break  a  yoke  of  steers  to  this 
mode,  and  test  the  matter  at  the  next  Connecticut  plough- 
ing-match  ?     We  merely  suggest  the  thing. 

The  Cuban  horse  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice  in 
this  connection.  He  is  a  remarkably  valuable  animal. 
Though  small  and  delicate  of  limb,  he  can  carry  a  great 
weight;  and  his  gait  is  a  sort  of  inarch^  something 
like  our  pacing  horses,  and  remarkably  easy  under  the 
saddle.  They  have  great  power  of  endurance,  are  small 
eaters,  and  very  docile  and  easy  to  take  care  of  The 
Montero  inherits  all  the  love  of  his  Moorish  ancestors 
for  the  horse,  and  never  stirs  abroad  without  him.  He 
considers  himself  established  for  life  when  he  possesses  a 
good  horse,  a  sharp  Toledo  blade,  and  a  pair  of  silver  spurs, 
and  from  very  childhood  is  accustomed  to  the  saddle. 
They  tell  you  long  stories  of  their  horses,  and  would  make 


156  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

them  descended  direct  from  the  Kochlani,^^  if  you  will  per- 
mit them.  Their  size  may  readily  be  arrived  at  from  the 
fact  that  they  rarely  weigh  over  six  hundred  pounds ;  but 
they  are  very  finely  proportioned. 

The  visitor,  as  he  passes  inland,  will  frequently  observe 
upon  the  fronts  of  the  clustering  dwelling-houses  attempts 
at  representations  of  birds  and  various  animals,  looking 
like  anything  but  what  they  are  designed  to  depict,  the 
most  striking  characteristic  being  the  gaudy  coloring  and 
remarkable  size.  Pigeons  present  the  colossal  appearance 
of  ostriches,  and  dogs  are  exceedingly  elephantine  in  their 
proportions.  Especially  in  the  suburbs  of  Havana  may 
this  queer  fancy  be  observed  to  a  great  extent,  where 
attempts  are  made  to  depict  domestic  scenes,  and  the  per- 
sons of  either  sex  engaged  in  appropriate  occupations.  If 
such  ludicrous  objects  were  faet  with  anywhere  else  but  in 
Cuba,  they  would  be  called  caricatures,  but  here  they  are 
regarded  with  the  utmost  complacency,  and  innocently  con- 
sidered as  ornamental.!  Somehow  this  is  a  very  general 
passion  among  the  humbler  classes,  and  is  observable  in  the 
vicinity  of  Matanzas  and  Cardenas,  as  well  as  far  inland,  at 


*  "  Those  horses,  called  by  the  Arabians  Kochlani,  of  whom  a  written 
genealogy  has  been  kept  for  two  thousand  years.  They  are  said  to  derive 
their  origin  from  King  Solomon's  steeds."  — JViebuhr. 

t "  On  the  fronts  of  the  shops  and  houses,  and  on  plastered  walls  by  the 
way-side,  you  continually  see  painted  birds,  and  beasts,  and  creeping 
things,  men  and  women  in  their  various  vocations  and  amusements,  and 
some  things  and  some  images  not  strictly  forbidden  by  the  letter  of  the 
commandment,  being  like  nothing  in  heaven  above,  or  in  the  earth 
beneath,  or  in  the  waters  under  the  earth  ! " —  Rev.  Abiel  AbboVs  Letters. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  157 

the  small  hamlets.  The  exterior  of  the  town  houses  is 
generally  tinted  blue,  or  some  brown  color,  to  protect  the 
eyes  of  the  inhabitants  from  the  powerful  reflection  of  the 
ever- shining  sun. 

One  of  the  most  petty  and  annoying  experiences  that  the 
traveller  upon  the  island  is  sure  to  meet  with,  is  the  arbi- 
trary tax  of  time,  trouble  and  money  to  which  he  is  sure 
to  be  subjected  by  the  petty  officials  of  every  rank  in  the 
employment  of  government ;  for,  by  a  regular  and  legalized 
system  of  arbitrary  taxation  upon  strangers,  a  large  rev- 
enue is  realized.  Thus,  the  visitor  is  compelled  to  pay 
some  five  dollars  for  a  landing  permit,  and  a  larger  sum, 
say  seven  dollars,  to  get  away  again.  If  he  desires  to  pass 
out  of  the  city  where  he  has  landed,  a  fresh  permit  and 
passport  are  required,  at  a  further  expense,  though  you 
bring  one  from  home  signed  by  the  Spanish  consul  of  the 
port  where  you  embarked,  and  have  already  been  adjudged 
by  the  local  authorities.  Besides  all  this,  you  are  watched, 
and  your  simplest  movements  noted  down  and  reported 
daily  to  the  captain  of  police,  who  takes  the  liberty  of  stop- 
ping and  examining  all  your  newspapers,  few  of  which  are 
ever  permitted  to  be  delivered  to  their  address ;  and,  if  you 
are  thought  to  be  a  suspicious  person,  your  letters,  like 
your  papers,  are  unhesitatingly  devoted  to  "government 
purposes." 

An  evidence  of  the  jealous  care  which  is  exercised  to 
prevent  strangers  from  carrying  away  any  information  in 
14 


158  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

detail  relative  to  the  island,  was  evinced  to  the  writer  in  a 
tangible  form  on  one  occasion  in  the  Paseo  de  Isabella.  A 
young  French  artist  had  opened  his  portfolio,  and  was 
sketching  one  of  the  prominent  statues  that  grace  the  spot, 
when  an  officer  stepped  up  to  him,  and,  taking  possession  of 
his  pencil  and  other  materials,  conducted  him  at  once  before 
some  city  official  within  the  walls  of  Havana.  Here  he  was 
informed  that  he  could  not  be  allowed  to  sketch  even  a  tree 
without  a  permit  signed  by  the  captain-general.  As  this 
was  the  prominent  object  of  the  Frenchman's  visit  to  the 
island,  and  as  he  was  really  a  professional  artist  sketching 
for  self-improvement,  he  succeeded,  after  a  while,  in  con- 
vincing the  authorities  of  these  facts,  and  he  was  then,  as  a 
great  favor,  supplied  with  a  permit  (for  which  he  was  com- 
pelled to  pay  an  exorbitant  fee),  which  guaranteed  to  him 
the  privilege  of  sketching,  with  certain  restrictions  as  to 
fortifications,  military  posts,  and  harbor  views ;  the  same, 
however,  to  expire  after  ninety  days  from  the  date. 

The  great  value  and  wealth  of  the  island  has  been  kept 
comparatively  secret  by  this  Japan-like  watchfulness  ;  and 
hence,  too,  the  great  lack  of  reliable  information,  statistical 
or  otherwise,  relating  to  its  interests,  commerce,  products, 
population,  modes  and  rates  of  taxation,  etc.  Jealous  to 
the  very  last  degree  relative  to  the  possession  of  Cuba,  the 
home  government  has  exhausted  its  ingenuity  in  devising 
restrictions  upon  its  inhabitants ;  while,  with  a  spirit  of 
avarice  also  goaded  on  by  necessity,  it  has  yearly  added  to 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  159 

the  burthen  of  taxation  upon  the  people  to  an  unparalleled 
extent.  The  cord  may  be  severed,  and  the  overstrained 
bow  will  spring  hack  to  its  native  and  upright  position  ! 
The  Cubans  are  patient  and  long-suffering,  that  is  suf- 
ficiently obvious  to  all;  and  yet  Spain  may  break  the 
camel's  back  by  one  more  feather  ! 

The  policy  that  has  suppressed  all  statistical  information, 
all  historical  record  of  the  island,  all  accounts  of  its  current 
prosperity  and  growth,  is  a  most  short-sighted  one,  and  as 
unavailing  in  its  purpose  as  it  would  be  to  endeavor  to  keep 
secret  the  diurnal  revolutions  of  the  earth.  No  official 
public  chart  of  the  harbor  of  Havana  has  ever  been  issued 
by  the  Spanish  government,  no  maps  of  it  given  by  the 
home  government  as  authentic ;  they  would  draw  a  screen 
over  this  tropical  jewel,  lest  its  dazzling  brightness  should 
tempt  the  cupidity  of  some  other  nation.  All  this  effort  at 
secrecy  is  little  better  than  childishness  on  their  part,  since 
it  is  impossible,  with  all  their  precautions,  to  keep  these 
matters  secret.  >  It  is  well  known  that  our  war  department 
at  Washington  contains  faithful  sectional  and  complete 
drawings  of  every  important -fortification  in  Cuba,  and  even 
the  most  reliable  charts  and  soundings  of  its  harbors,  bays 
and  seaboard  generally. 

The  political  condition  of  Cuba  is  precisely  what  might 
be  expected  of  a  Castilian  colony  thus  ruled,  and  governed 
by  such  a  policy.  Like  the  home  government,  she  presents 
a  remarkable  instance  of  stand-still  policy ;  and  from  one 


160  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

of  the  most  powerful  kingdoms,  and  one  of  the  most 
wealthy,  is  now  the  humblest  and  poorest.  Other  nations 
have  labored  and  succeeded  in  the  race  of  progress,  while 
her  adherence  to  ancient  institutions,  and  her  dignified 
scorn  of  "modern  innovations,"  amount  in  fact  to  a  species 
of  retrogi^ession,  which  has  placed  her  far  below  all  her 
sister  governments  of  Europe.  The  true  Hidalgo  spirit, 
which  wraps  itself  up  in  an  antique  garb,  and  shrugs  its 
shoulders  at  the  advance  of  other  countries,  still  rules  over 
the  beautiful  realm  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and  its 
high-roads  still  boast  their  banditti  and  worthless  gipsies, 
as  a  token  of  the  declining  power  of  the  Castilian  crown. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

tacon's  summary  mode  of  justice. 

Probably  of  all  the  governors-general  that  have  filled 
the  post  in  Cuba  none  is  better  known  abroad,  or  has  left 
more  monuments  of  his  enterprise,  than  Tacon.  His  repu- 
tation at  Havana  is  of  a  somewhat  doubtful  character ;  for, 
though  he  followed  out  with  energy  the  various  improve- 
ments suggested  by  Aranjo,  yet  his  modes  of  procedure 
were  so  violent,  that  he  was  an  object  of  terror  to  the  peo- 
ple generally,  rather  than  of  gratitude.  He  vastly  im- 
proved the  appearance  of  the  capital  and  its  vicinity,  built 
the  new  prison,  rebuilt  the  governor's  palace,  constructed 
a  military  road  to  the  neighboring  forts,  erected  a  spacious 
theatre  and  market-house  (as  related  in  connection  with 
Marti),  arranged  a'  new  public  walk,  and  opened  a  vast 
parade  ground  without  the  city  walls,  thus  laying  the  foun- 
dation of  the  new  city  which  has  now  sprung  up  in  this  for- 
merly desolate  suburb.  He  suppressed  the  gaming-houses, 
and  rendered  the  streets,  formerly  infested  with  robbers,  as 
secure  as  those  of  Boston  or  New  York.  But  all  this  was 
14* 


162  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

done  with  a  bold  military  arm.  Life  was  counted  of  little 
value,  and  many  of  the  first  people  fell  before  his  orders. 

Throughout  all  his  career,  there  seemed  ever  to  be  within 
him  a  romantic  love  of  justice,  and  a  desire  to  administer  it 
impartially ;  and  some  of  the  stories,  well  authenticated, 
illustrating  this  fact,  are  still  current  in  Havana.  One  of 
these,  as  characteristic  of  Tacon  and  his  rule,  is  given  in 
this  connection,  as  nearly  in  the  words  of  the  narrator  as  the 
writer  can  remember  them,  listened  to  in  "  La  Dominica's." 

During  the  first  year  of  Tacon's  governorship,  there  was 
a  young  Creole  girl,  named  Miralda  Estalez,  who  kept  a 
little  cigar-store  in  the  Calle  de  Mercaderes,  and  whose 
shop  was  the  resort  of  all  the  young  men  of  the  town  who 
loved  a  choicely-made  and  superior  cigar.  Miralda  was 
only  seventeen,  without  mother  or  father  living,  and  earned 
an  humble  though  sufficient  support  by  her  industry  in  the 
manufactory  we  have  named,  and  by  the  sales  of  her  little 
store.  She  was  a  picture  of  ripened  tropical  beauty,  with  a 
finely  rounded  form,  a  lovely  face,  of  soft,  olive  tint,  and 
teeth  that  a  Tuscarora  might  envy  her.  At  times,  there 
was  a  dash  of  languor  in  her  dreamy  eye  that  would  have 
warmed  an  anchorite  ;  and  then  her  cheerful  jests  were  so 
delicate,  yet  free,  that  she  had  unwittingly  turned  the  heads, 
not  to  say  hearts,  of  half  the  young  merchants  in  the 
Calle  de  Mercaderes.  But  she  dispensed  her  favors  with- 
out partiality ;  none  of  the  rich  and  gay  exquisites  of 
Havana  could  say  they  had  ever  received  any  particular 


HISTORY  OF   CUBA.  163 

acknowledgment  from  the  fair  young  girl  to  their  warm  and 
constant  attention.  For  this  one  she  had  a  pleasant  smile, 
for  another  a  few  words  of  pleasing  gossip,  and  for  a  third 
a  snatch  of  a  Spanish  song ;  but  to  none  did  she  give  her 
confidence,  except  to  young  Pedro  Mantanez,  a  fine-looking 
boatman,  who  plied  between  the  Punta  and  Moro  Castle, 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbor. 

Pedro  was  a  manly  and  courageous  young  fellow,  rather 
above  his  class  in  intelligence,  appearance  and  associations, 
and  pulled  his  oars  with  a  strong  arm  and  light  heart,  and 
loved  the  beautiful  Miralda  with  an  ardor  romantic  in  its 
fidelity  and  truth.  He  was  a  sort  of  leader  among  the  boat- 
men of  the  harbor  for  reason  of  his  superior  cultivation  and 
intelligence,  and  his  quick-witted  sagacity  was  often  turned 
for  the  benefit  of  his  comrades.  Many  were  the  noble  deeds 
he  had  done  in  and  about  the  harbor  since  a  boy,^for  he  had 
followed  his  calling  of  a  waterman  from  boyhood,  as  his 
fathers  had  done  before  him.  Miral(^  in  turn  ardently 
loved  Pedro ;  and,  w^hen  he  came  at  night  and  sat  in  the 
back  part  of  her  little  shop,  she  had  always  a  neat  and  fra- 
grant cigar  for  his  lips.  Now  and  then,  when  she  could 
steal  away  from  her  shop  on  some  holiday,  Pedro  would 
hoist  a  tiny  sail  in  the  prow  of  his  boat,  and  securing  the 
little  stern  awning  over  Miralda's  head,  would  steer  out  into 
the  gulf,  and  coast  along  the  romantic  shore. 

There  was  a  famous  roue,  well  known  at  this  time  in 
Havana,  named  Count  Almonte,  who  had  frequently  visited 


164  HISTOKY   OF   CUBA. 

Miralda's  shop,  and  conceived  quite  a  passion  for  the  girl, 
and,  indeed,  he  had  grown  to  be  one  of  her  most  liberal 
customers.  With  a  cunning  shrewdness  and  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  the  count  besieged  the  heart  of  his  intended 
victim  without  appearing  to  do  so,  and  carried  on  his  plan 
of  operations  for  many  weeks  before  the  innocent  girl  even 
suspected  his  possessing  a  partiality  for  her,  until  one  day 
she  was  surprised  by  a  present  from  him  of  so  rare  and 
costly  a  nature  as  to  lead  her  to  suspect  the  donor's  inten- 
tions at  once,  and  to  promptly  decline  the  offered  gift. 
Undismayed  by  this,  still  the  count  continued  his  profuse 
patronage  in  a  way  to  which  Miralda  could  find  no  plausible 
pretext  of  complaint.  > 

\t  last,  seizing  upon  what  he  considered  a  favorable 
moment.  Count  Almonte  declared  his  passion  to  Miralda, 
besought  her  to  come  and  be  the  mistress  of  his  broad  and 
rich  estates  at  Cerito,  near  the  city,  and  offered  all  the 
promises  of  wealth,  Javor  and  fortune  ;  but  in  vain.  The 
pure-minded  girl  scorned  his  offer,  and  bade  him  never  more 
to  insult  her  by  visiting  her  shop.  Abashed  but  not  con- 
founded, the  count  retired,  but  only  to  weave  a  new  snare 
whereby  he  could  entangle  her,  for  he  was  not  one  to  be  so 
easily  thwarted. 

One  afternoon,  not  long  after  this,  as  the  twilight  was 
settling  over  the  town,  a  file  of  soldiers  halted  just  oppo- 
site the  door  of  the  little  cigar-shop,  when  a  young  man, 
wearing  a   lieutenant's   insignia,  entered,   and   asked   the 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  165 

attendant  if  her  name  was  Miralda  Estalez,  to  which  she 
timidly  responded. 

"  Then  you  will  please  to  come  with  me." 

"  By  what  authority  ?  "  asked  the  trembling  girl. 

''  The  order  of  the  governor-general." 

"  Then  I  must  obey  you,"  she  answered  ;  and  prepared 
to  follow  him  at  once. 

Stepping  to  the  door  with  her,  the  young  oiBBcer  directed 
his  men  to  march  on;  and,  getting  into  a  volante,  told 
Miralda  they  would  drive  to  the  guard-house.  But,  to  the 
surprise  of  the  girl,  she  soon  after  discovered  that  they 
were  rapidly  passing  the  city  gates,  and  immediately  after 
wefe  dashing  off  on  the  road  to  Cerito.  Then  it  was  that 
she  began  to  fear  some  trick  had  been  played  upon  her ;  and 
these  fears  wye  soon  confirmed  by  the  volante' s  turning 
down  the  long  alley  of  palms  that  led  to  the  estate  of  Count 
Almonte.  It  was  in  vain  to  expostulate  now ;  she  felt  that 
she  was  in  the  power  of  the  reckless  nobleman,  and  the  pre- 
tended ofiicer  and  soldiers  were  his  own  people,  who  had 
adopted  the  disguise  of  the  Spanish  army  uniform. 

Count  Almonte  met  her  at  the  door,  told  her  to  fear  no 
violence,  that  her  wishes  should  be  respected  in  all  things 
save  her  personal  liberty, —  that  he  trusted,  in  time,  to  per- 
suade her  to  look  more  favorably  upon  him,  and  that  in  all 
things  he  was  her  slave.  She  replied  contemptuously  to  his 
words,  and  charged  liim  with  the  cowardly  trick  by  which 
he  had  gained  control  of  her  liberty.     But  she  was  left 


166  HISTORY  OF  CUBA. 

by  herself,  though  watched  by  his  orders  at  all  times  to  pre- 
vent her  escape. 

She  knew  very  well  that  the  power  and  will  of  Count 
Almonte  were  too  strong  for  any  humble  friend  of  hers  to 
attempt  to  thwart ;  and  yet  she  somehow  felt  a  conscious 
strength  in  Pedro,  and  secretly  cherished  the  idea  that  he 
would  discover  her  place  of  confinement,  and  adopt  some 
means  to  deliver  her.  The  stiletto  is  the  constant  compan- 
ion of  the  lower  classes,  and  Miralda  had  been  used  to  wear 
one  even  in  her  store  against  contingency ;  but  she  now 
regarded  the  tiny  weapon  with  peculiar  satisfaction,  and 
slept  with  it  in  her  bosom ! 

Small  was  the  clue  by  which  Pedro  Mantanez  discovered 
the  trick  of  Count  Almonte.  First  this  was  found  out, 
then  that  circumstance,  and  these,  being  pul^ogether,  they 
led  to  other  results,  until  the  indefatigable  lover  was  at  last 
fully  satisfied  that  he  had  discovered  her  place  of  confine- 
ment. Disguised  as  a  friar  of  the  order  of  San  Felipe,  he 
sought  Count  Almonte's  gates  at  a  favorable  moment,  met 
Miralda,  cheered  her  with  fresh  hopes,  and  retired  to 
arrange  some  certain  plan  for  her  delivery.  There  was 
time  to  think  noiv  ;  heretofore  he  had  not  permitted  himself 
even  an  hour's  sleep;  but  she  was  safe, —  that  is,  not  in 
immediate  danger, —  and  he  could  breathe  more  freely.  He 
knew  not  with  whom  to  advise  ;  he  feared  to  speak  to  those 
above  him  in  society,  lest  they  might  betray  his  purpose  to 
the  count,  and  his  own  liberty,  by  some  means,  be  thus 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  167 

jeopardized.  He  could  only  consider  with  himself;  he  must 
be  his  own  counsellor  in  this  critical  case. 

At  last,  as  if  in  despair,  he  started  to  his  feet,  one  day, 
and  exclaimed  to  himself,  ''  Why  not  go  to  head-quarters  at 
once  7  why  not  see  the  governor-general,  and  tell  him  the 
whole  truth  ?  Ah  !  see  him? — how  is  that  to  be  effected  ? 
And  then  this  Count  Almonte  is  a  nobleman  !  They  say 
Tacon  loves  justice.  We  shall  see.  I  will  go  to  the  gov- 
ernor-general ;  it  cannot  do  any  harm,  if  it  does  not  do 
any  good.  I  can  but  try."  And  Pedro  did  seek  the  gover- 
nor. True,  he  did  not  at  once  get  audience  of  him, —  not 
the  first,  nor  the  second,  nor  third  time:  but  he  persevered, 
and  was  admitted  at  last.  Here  he  told  his  story  in  a  free, 
manly  voice,  undisguisedly  and  open  in  all  things,  so  that 
Tacon  was  pleased. 

"  And  the  girl?"  asked  the  governor-general,  over  whose 
countenance  a  dark  scowl  had  gathered.  ' '  Is  she  thy  sis- 
ter?" 

"No,  Excelencia,  she  is  dearer  still;  she  is  my  be- 
trothed." 

The  governor,  bidding  him  come  nearer,  took  a  golden 
cross  from  his  table,  and,  handing  it  to  the  boatman,  as  he 
regarded  him  searchingly,  said, 

"  Swear  that  what  you  have  related  to  me  is  true,  as  you 
hope  for  heaven  !" 

"  I  swear  !  "  said  Pedro,  kneeling  and  kissing  the  em- 
blem with  simple  reverence. 


168  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

The  governor  turned  to  his  table,  wrote  a  few  brief  lines, 
and,  touching  a  bell,  summoned  a  page  from  an  adjoining 
room,  whom  he  ordered  to  send  the  captain  of  the  guard  to 
him.  Prompt  as  were  all  who  had  any  connection  with  the 
governor's  household,  the  ofl&cer  appeared  at  once,  and 
received  the  written  order,  with  directions  to  bring  Count 
Almonte  and  a  young  girl  named  Miralda  immediately 
before  him.  Pedro  was  sent  to  an  anteroom,  and  the  busi- 
ness of  the  day  passed  on  as  usual  in  the  reception-hall  of 
the  governor. 

Less  than  two  hours  had  transpired  when  the  count  and 
Miralda  stood  before  Tacon.  Neither  knew  the  nature  of 
the  business  which  had  summoned  them  there.  Almonte 
half  suspected  the  truth,  and  the  poor  girl  argued  to  herself 
that  her  fate  could  not  but  be  improved  by  the  interference, 
let  its  nature  be  what  it  might. 

"  Count  Almonte,  you  doubtless  know  why  I  have  or- 
dered you  to  appear  here." 

"  Excelencia,  I  fear  that  I  have  been  indiscreet,"  was 
the  reply. 

"  You  adopted  the  uniform  of  the  guards  for  your  own 
private  purposes  upon  this  young  girl,  did  you  not  ?  " 

"  Excelencia,  I  cannot  deny  it." 

"  Declare,  upon  your  honor.  Count  Almonte,  whether 
she  is  unliarmed  whom  you  have  thus  kept  a  prisoner." 

"  Excelencia,  she  is  as  pure  as  when  she  entered  beneath 
my  roof,"  was  the  truthful  reply. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  l69 

The  governor  turned,  and  whispered  something  to  his 
page,  then  continued  his  questions  to  the  count,  while  he 
made  some  minutes  upon  paper.  Pedro  was  now  summoned 
to  explain  some  matter,  and,  as  he  entered,  the  governor- 
general  turned  his  back  for  one  moment  as  if  to  seek  for 
some  papers  upon  his  table,  while  Miralda  was  pressed  in 
the  boatman's  arms.  It  was  but  for  a  moment,  and  the 
next,  Pedro  w^as  bowing  humbly  before  Tacon.  A  few 
moments  more  and  the  governor's  page  returned,  accom- 
panied by  a  monk  of  the  church  of  Santa  Clara,  with  the 
emblems  of  his  office. 

"  Holy  father,"  said  Tacon,  "  you  will  bind  the  hands 
of  this  Count  Almonte  and  Miralda  Estalez  together  in  the 
bonds  of  wedlock  !  " 

''  Excelencia  !  "  exclaimed  the  count,  in  amazement. 

'•'  Not  a  word,    Senor  ;  it  is  your  part  to  obey  !  " 


' '  My  nobility,  Excelenci; 


f  " 


^'  Is  forfeited  !  "  said  Tacon. 

Count  Almonte  had  too  many  evidences  before  his  mind's 
eye  of  Tacon' s  mode  of  administering  justice  and  of  enforc- 
ing his  own  will  to  dare  to  rebel,  and  he  doggedly  yielded 
in  silence.  Poor  Pedro,  not  daring  to  speak,  was  half- 
crazed  to  sec  the  prize  ho  had  so  long  coveted  thus  about  to 
be  torn  from  him.  In  a  few  moments  the  ceremony  was 
performed,  the  trembling  and  bewildered  girl  not  daring  to 
thwart  the  governor's  orders,  and  the  priest  declared  them 
husband  and  wife.  The  captain  of  the  guard  was  summoned 
15 


^"^^  HISTORY    OP   CUBA. 


-  mi  despatched  with  some  written  order,  and,  in  a  few  sub 
sequent  moments,  Count  Almonte,  completely  subdued  and 
broken-spirited,  was  ordered  to  return  to  his  plantation 
Pedro  and  Mralda  were  directed  to  remain  in  an  adjoinin. 
apartment  to  that  which  had  been  the  scene  of  this  singular 
procedure.     Count  Almonte  mounted  his  horse,  and,  with  a 
smgle  attendant,  soon  passed  out  of  the  city  gates      But 
hardly  had  he  passed  the  corner  of  the  Paseo.  when  a  dozen 
musketeers  fired  a  volley  upon  him,  and  he  fell  a  corpse 
upon  the  road ! 

His  body  was  quietly  removed,  and  the  captain  of  the 
guard,  who  had  witnessed  the  act,  made  a  minute  upon  his 
order  as  to  the  time  and  place,  and,  mounting  his  horso 
rode  to  the  governor's  palace,  entering  the  presence  cham- 
ber just  as  Pedro  and  Miraldawere  once  more  summoned 
oetore  the  governor. 

^'Excelencia,"  said  the  officer,  returning  the  order   ''it 
IS  executed!"  ' 

'' Is  the  count  dead '/ " 

"Excelencia,  yes." 

"  Proclaim,  in  tho  usual  manner,  the  marriage  of  Count 
Almonte  and  Miralda  Estale.,  and  also  that  she  is  his  le^al 
W|dow,  possessed  of  his  titles  and  estates.  See  that  a  prol- 
officer  attends  her  to  the  count's  estate,  and  enforces  this 
decision.  Then,  turning  to  Pedro  Mantanez,  he  said,  "No 
man  nor  woman  in  this  island  is  so  humble  but  that  they 
may  claim  justice  of  Tacon  !  " 
The  story  furnishes  its  own  moral. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Consumption  of  tobacco  —  The  universal  cigar  —  Lady  smokers  —  The 
fruits  of  Cuba — Flour  a  prohibited  article  —  The  royal  palm  —  West 
Indian  trees  —  Snakes,  animals,  etc.  —  The  Cuba  blood-hound  —  MoSfe 
of  training  him  —  Remarkable  instinct  —  Importation  of  slaves  —  Their 
cost  —  Various  African  tribes  —  Superstitious  belief  —  Tattooing  — 
Health  of  the  negroes  —  Slave  laws  of  the  island  —  Food  of  the  negroes 
—  Spanish  law  of  emancipation  —  General  treatment  of  the  slaves. 

The  consumption  of  tobacco,*  in  the  form  of  cigars,  is 
absolutely  enormous  in  the  island.  Every  man,  woman  and 
child,  seems  to  smoke;  and  it  strikes  one  as  rather  peculiar, 
to  say  the  least  of  it,  to  see  a  lady  smoking  her  cigarito  in 
the  parlor,  or  on  the  verandah;  but  this  is  very  common. 
The  men,  of  all  degrees,  smoke,  and  smoke  everywhere ;  in 
the  houses,  in  the  street,  in  the  theatre,  in  the  cafes,  in  the 
counting-room ;  eating,  drinking,  and,  truly,  it  would  seem, 
sleeping,  they  smoke,  smoke,  smoke.  The  slave  and  his 
master,  the  maid  and  her  mistress,  boy  and  man, —  all,  all 
smoke  ;  and  it  is  really  odd  that  vessels  don't  scent  Havana 
far  out  at  sea  before  they  heave  in  sight  of  its  headlands. 


*  The  name  tobacco  is  said  to  have  been  that  of  the  pipe  used  by  the 
native  Indians  to  inhale  the  smoke  with,  consisting  of  a  small  tube,  "with 
two  branches  intended  to  enter  the  nostrils. 


172  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

No  true  Havanese  ever  moves  a  foot  without  his  portable 
armory  of  cigars,  as  indispensable  to  him  as  is  his  quiver  to 
the  wild  Indian,  and  he  would  feel  equally  lost  without  it. 
Some  one  has  flicetiously  said  that  the  cigar  ought  to  be  the 
national  emblem  of  Cuba. 

The  gentlemen  consume  from  ten  to  twelve  cigars  per 
day,  and  many  of  the  women  half  that  number,  saying 
nothing  of  the  juvenile  portion  of  the  community.  The 
consequence  of  this  large  and  increasing  consumption, 
including  the  heavy  export  of  the  article,  is  to  employ  a 
vast  number  of  hands  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars,  and  the 
little  stores  and  stalls  where  they  are  made  are  plentifully 
sprinkled  all  over  the  city,  at  every  corner  and  along  the 
principal  streets.  It  is  true  that  the  ladies  of  the  best 
classes  in  Havana  have  abandoned  the  practice  of  smoking, 
or  at  least  they  have  ostensibly  done  so,  never  indulgmg 
absolutely  in  public  :  but  the  writer  has  seen  a  noted  beauty 
whose  teeth  were  much  discolored  by  the  oil  which  is  engen- 
dered in  the  use  of  the  paper  cigars,  thus  showing  that, 
although  they  no  longer  smoke  in  public,  yet  the  walls  of 
their  boudoirs  are  no  strangers  to  the  fumes  of  tobacco. 
This  is  the  only  form  in  which  the  weed  is  commonly  used 
lierc.  You  rarely  meet  a  snuff-taker,  and  few,  if  any,  chew 
tobacco.  It  is  astonishing  how  passionately  fond  of  smoking 
the  negroes^  become ;  with  heavy  pipes,  well  filled,  they 
inhale  the  rich  narcotic,  driving  it  out  at  the  nostrils  in  a 
slow,  heavy  stream,  and  half  dozing  over  the  dreamy  and 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  173 

exhilarating  process.  They  are  fully  indulged  in  this  taste 
by  their  masters,  whether  in  town,  or  inland  upon  the  plan- 
tations. The  postilions  who  wait  for  fare  in  the  streets 
pass  four-fifths  of  their  time  in  this  way,  and  di^eam  over 
their  pipes  of  pure  Havana. 

We  can  have  but  a  poor  idea,  at  the  north,  of  tropical 
fruits,  for  only  a  portion  of  them  are  of  a  nature  to  admit 
of  exportation,  and  those  must  be  gathered  in  an  unripe 
condition  in  order  to  survive  a  short  sea  voyage.  The 
orange  in  Boston,  and  the  orange  in  Havana,  are  vastly  dif- 
ferent :  the  former  has  been  picked  green  and  ripened  on 
ship-board,  the  latter  was  on  the  tree  a  few  hours  before  you 
purchased  it,  and  ripened  upon  its  native  stem.  So  of  the 
bananas,  one  of  the  most  delightful  of  all  West  India  fruits, 
and  which  grow  everywhere  in  Cuba  with  prodigal  profuse- 
ness.  The  principal  fruits  of  the  island  are  the  banana, 
mango,  pomegranate,  orange,  pine-apple,*  zapota,  tamarind, 
citron,  fig,  cocoa,  lemon,  rose-apple  and  bread-fruit.  Though 
any  of  these  are  eaten  freely  of  at  all  hours,  yet  the  orange 
seems  to  be  the  Creole's  favorite,  and  he  seldom  rises  from 
his  bed  in  the  morning  until  he  has  drank  his  cup  of  strong 
cofiee,  and  eaten  three  or  four  oranges,  brought  fresh  and 
prepared  to  him  by  a  slave.  The  practice  is  one  which  the 
visitor  falls  very  naturally  into,  and  finds  most  agreeable. 
They  have  a  saying  that  ' '  the  orange  is  gold  in  the  morn- 

*  This  highly-flavored  and  excellent  fruit  is  so  abundant  in  Cuba  that 
the  best  sell  in  the  market  at  a  cent  apiece. 

15=^ 


174  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

ing,  silver  at  noon,  and  lead  at  night."  The  most  singular 
of  these  varieties  of  fruits  (by  no  means  embracing  all)  is 
the  rose-apple,  which,  when  eaten,  has  the  peculiar  and  very 
agreeable  flavor  of  otto  of  rose,  and  this  is  so  strong  that  to 
eat  more  than  one  at  a  time  is  almost  unpleasant.  It  has  a 
very  sweet  taste,  and  flavors  some  soups  finely.  Of  these 
fruit  trees,  the  lemon  is  decidedly  the  most  ornamental  and 
pretty,  for,  though  small  and  dwarfish,  like  the  American 
quince,  yet  it  hangs  with  flowers,  small  lemons,  and  ripe 
fruit,  all  together,  reminding  one  of  the  eastern  Alma* 
and  forming  an  uncommon  and  beautiful  sight.  This  agree- 
able phenomenon  will  surprise  you  at  every  turn  upon  the 
coffee  plantations. 

But  the  article  of  food  most  required  in  the  island  is 
flour,  while  the  importation  of  it  is  made  so  unreasonably 
expensive  as  to  amount  to  a  positive  prohibition  upon  the 
article.  On  foreign  flour  there  is  a  fixed  duty  of  ten  dol- 
lars^ to  which  if  we  add  the  one  and  a  half  per  cent.,  with 
other  regular  charges,  the  duty  will  amount  to  about  ten 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  barrel.  This  enormous  tax  on 
flour  prevents  its  use  altogether  in  the  island,  except  by  the 
w^ealthier  classes.  True,  there  is  a  home-made,  Spanish 
article,  far  inferior,  which  costs  somewhat  less,  being  im- 
ported from  far-off  Spain  without  the  prohibitory  clause. 
The  estimate  of  the  consumption  of  flour  in  this  country 

*  "You  never  can  cast  your  eyes  on  this  tree,  but  you  meet  there  either 
or  fruit. ' '  —  JVieuhoff. 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  175 

gives  one  and  a  half  barrel  per  head,  per  annum ;  but  let 
us  suppose  that  the  free  population  consume  but  one.  The 
free  population  —  that  is,  the  whites  exclusively,  not  in- 
cluding the  large  number  of  free  negroes  —  numbers  over 
six  hundred  thousand ;  if  the  island  belonged  to  this  coun- 
try, there  would  immediately  arise  a  demand  for  six  hundred 
thousand  barrels  of  flour  per  annum,  for  the  duty  would  no 
longer  exist  as  a  prohibition  upon  this  necessary  article.  At 
four  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  barrel,  this  would  make  the 
sum  of  two  million  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  and  if 
we  allow  half  a  barrel  each  to  the  slaves  and  free  blacks, 
which  would  be  the  natural  result,  being  not  only  the  best 
but  cheapest  food,  we  have  an  annual  demand  of  from  four 
to  five  hundred  thousand  barrels  more  of  the  great  staple 
production  of  the  United  States.  This  is  an  item  worth 
considering  by  political  economists.  At  the  present  time, 
the  imports  into  this  country  from  thence  exceed  our  ex- 
ports to  Cuba  to  the  amount  of  nearly  one  million  of  dol- 
lars annually. 

But  we  were  writing  of  the  vegetable  productions  of  the 
island,  when  this  digression  occurred. 

The  Royal  Palm  is  the  noblest  tree  of  Cuba,  rising  from 
thirty  to  fifty  feet,  and  sometimes  even  twice  this  height, 
with  a  straight  stem,  while  from  the  top  spring  the  broad 
and  beautiful  leaves,  in  a  knot,  like  a  plume  of  ostrich 
feathers.  The  bark  is  equally  divided  by  ornamental  ring- 
lets encircling  it,  each  one  marking  a  year  of  its  age.     A 


176  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

peculiarity  of  this  tree  is,  that  it  has  no  substance  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  trunk, *  yet  the  outside,  to  the  thickness  of  an 
inch  and  more,  makes  the  finest  of  boards,  and,  when  sea- 
soned, will  turn  a  board  nail  with  one  stroke  of  the  hammer. 
The  top  of  the  palm  yields  a  vegetable  which  is  much  used 
upon  the  table,  and,  when  boiled,  resembles  in  flavor  our 
cauliflower.  The  cocoa-nut  tree  very  much  resembles  the 
palm,  the  branches  diverging,  like  the  ribs  of  an  umbrella, 
from  one  common  centre,  among  which  the  fruit  hangs  in 
tempting  clusters  far  out  of  reach  from  the  ground.  The 
plantain,  with  its  profuse  clusters  of  finger-like  fruit,  grows 
low  like  the  banana,  which  it  vastly  resembles,  and  the  en- 
tire trunk  of  both  are  renewed  yearly ;  the  old  stock,  after 
yielding  its  crop,  decaying  rapidly,  and  forming  the  most 
nutritious  matter  for  the  soil  that  can  be  had.  Many  of 
the  hedges  through  the  plantations  are  formed  of  aloes,  of 
a  large  and  luxuriant  growth,  with  dagger-like  points,  and 
stiff",  long  leaves,  bidding  defiance  to  ingress  or  egress,  yet 
ever  ornamented  with  a  fragrant  cup-like  flower.  Lime 
hedges  are  also  very  abundant,  with  their  clusters  of  white 
blossoms,  and  there  is  a  vast  supply  of  mahogany  and  other 
precious  woods,  in  the  extensive  forests. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  there  is  not  a  poisonous 
reptile  or  animal  of  any  sort  in  Cuba.     Snakes  of  various 


*  It  is  remarkable  that  the  palm  tree,  which  grows  so  lofty,  has  not  a 
root  as  big  as  a  finger  of  the  human  hand.  Its  roots  are  small,  thread- 
like, and  almost  innumerable. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  177 

species  abound,  but  are  said  to  be  perfectly  moifensive, 
though  sometimes  destructive  to  domestic  fowls.  During  a 
pleasant  trip  between  San  Antonio  and  Alquizar,  in  a  vo- 
lante  with  a  planter,  this  subject  happened  to  be  under  dis- 
cussion, when  the  writer  discovered  a  snake,  six  feet  long, 
and  as  large  at  the  middle  as  his  arm,  directly  before  the 
volante.  On  suddenly  exclaiming,"  and  pointing  it  out,  the 
planter  merely  replied  by  giving  its  species,  and  declaring 
that  a  child  might  sleep  with  it  unharmed.  In  the  mean- 
time, it  was  a  relief  to  see  the  innocent  creature  hasten  out 
of  the  way  and  secrete  itself  in  a  neighboring  hedge.  Liz- 
ards, tarantulas  and  chameleons,  abound,  but  are  considered 
harmless.  The  writer  has  awakened  in  the  morning  and 
found  several  lizards  creeping  on  the  walls  of  his  apartment. 
Only  one  small  quadruped  is  found  in  Cuba  that  is  sup- 
posed to  be  indigenous,  and  that  is  called  the  hutia,  much 
resembling  a  mouse,  but  without  the  tail. 

The  Cuban  blood-hound,  of  which  we  hear  so  much,  is 
not  a  native  of  the  island,  but  belongs  to  an  imported  breed, 
resembling  the  English  mastiff,  though  with  longer  nose  and 
limbs.  He  is  naturally  a  fierce,  blood-thirsty  animal,  but 
the  particular  qualities  which  fit  him  for  tracing  the  run- 
away slaves  are  wholly  acquired  by  careful  and  expert 
training.  This  training  of  the  hounds  to  fit  them  for  fol- 
lowing and  securing  the  runaway  negroes  is  'generally  en- 
trusted to  a  class  of  men  who  go  about  from  one  plantation 
to  another,  and  who  are  usually  Monteros  or  French  over- 


178  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

seers  out  of  employment.  Each  plantation  keeps  more  or 
less  of  these  dogs,  more  as  a  precautionary  measure,  how- 
ever, than  for  actual  use,  for  so  certain  is  the  slave  that  he 
will  be  instantly  followed  as  soon  as  he  is  missed,  and  easily 
traced  by  the  hounds,  of  whose  instinct  he  is  fully  aware, 
that  he  rarely  attempts  to  escape  from  his  master.  In  one 
respect  this  acts  as  a  positive  advantage  to  the  negroes  them- 
selves, for  the  master,  feeling  a  confidence  relative  to  their 
possession  and  faithfulness,  and  well  knowing  the  ease  with 
which  they  can  at  once  be  secured  should  they  run  away, 
is  thus  enabled  to  leave  them  comparatively  free  to  roam 
about  the  plantation,  and  they  undergo  no  surveillance  ex- 
cept during  working  hours,  when  an  overseer  is  of  course 
always  somewhere  about,  looking  after  them,  and  prompt- 
ing those  that  are  indolent. 

The  blood-hounds  are  taken  when  quite  young,  tied  .up 
securely,  and  a  negro  boy  is  placed  to  tease  and  annoy 
them,  occasionally  administering  a  slight  castigation  upon 
the  animals,  taking  care  to  keep  out  of  the  reach  of  their 
teeth.  This  whipping  is  generally  administered  under  the 
direction  of  the  trainer,  who  takes  good  care  that  it  shall 
not  be  sufficiently  severe  to  really  hurt  the  dogs  or  crush 
their  spirit  of  resistance.  As  the  dogs  grow  older,  negro 
men,  in  place  of  boys,  are  placed  to  fret  and  irritate  them, 
occasionally  administering,  as  before,  slight  castigations  upon 
the  dogs,  but  under  the  same  restrictions :  and  they  also  re- 
sort to  the  most  ingenious  modes  of  vexing  the  animals  to 


IIISTOIIY    OF   CUBA.  179 

the  utmost,  until  the  very  sight  of  a  negro  Avill  make  them 
howl.  Finally,  after  a  slave  has  worried  them  to  the 
last  degree,  he  is  given  a  good  start,  and  the  ground  is 
marked  beforehand,  a  tree  being  selected,  when  the  dogs 
are  let  loose  after  him.  Of  course  they  pursue  him 
with  open  jaws  and  the  speed  of  the  wind ;  but  the  slave 
climbs  the  tree,  and  is  secure  from  the  vengeance  of  the 
animals. 

This  is  the  exact  position  in  which  the  master  desires 
them  to  place  his  runaway  slave  —  "tree  him,"  and  then 
set  up  a  howl  that  soon  brings  up  the  hunters.  They  are 
never  set  upon  the  slaves  to  bite  or  injure  them,  but  only 
placed  upon  their  track  to  follow  and  hunt  them.  So  per- 
fect of  scent  are  these  animals,  that  the  master,  wdien  he  is 
about  to  pursue  a  runaway,  will  find  some  clothing,  however 
slight,  which  the  missing  slave  has  left  behind  him,  and 
giving  it  to  the  hounds  to  smell,  can  then  rely  upon  them  to 
follow  the  slave  through  whole  plantations  of  his  class,  none 
of  whom  they  will  molest,  but,  with  their  noses  to  the 
ground,  will  lead  straight  to  the  woods,  or  wherever  the 
slave  has  sought  shelter.  On  the  plantations  these  dogs 
are  always  kept  chained  when  not  in  actual  use,  the  negroes 
not  being  permitted  to  feed  or  to  play  with  them;  they  arc 
scrupulously  fed  by  the  overseer  or  master,  and  thus  consti- 
tute the  animal  police  of  the  plantation.  In  no  wise  can 
they  be  brought  to  attack  a  white  man,  and  it  would  be 
difficult  for  such  to  provoke  them  to  an  expression  of  rage 


180  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

or  anger,  while  their  early  and  systematic  training  makes 
them  feel  a  natural  enmity  to  the  blacks,  which  is  of  course 
most  heartily  reciprocated. 

Cuba  has  been  called  the  hot-bed  of  slavery ;  and  it  is 
in  a  certain  sense  true.  The  largest  plantations  own  from 
three  to  five  hundred  negroes,  which  establishments  require 
immense  investments  of  capital  successfully  to  manage.  A 
slave,  when  first  landed,  is  worth,  if  sound,  from  four  to 
five  hundred  dollars,  and  more  as  he  becomes  acclimated 
and  instructed,  their  dull  natures  requiring  a  vast  deal  of 
watchful  training  before  they  can  be  brought  to  any  positive 
usefulness,  in  doing  which  the  overseers  have  found  kind- 
ness go  a  vast  deal  farther  than  roughness.  Trifling  re- 
wards, repaying  the  first  efibrts  at  breaking  in  of  the  newly 
imported  negro,  establishes  a  good  understanding  at  once, 
and  thus  they  soon  grow  very  tractable,  though  they  do  not 
for  a  long  time  understand  a  single  word  of  Spanish  that 
is  addressed  to  them. 

These  negroes  are  from  various  African  tribes,  and  their 
characteristics  are  visibly  marked,  so  that  their  nationality 
is  at  once  discernible,  even  to  a  casual  observer.  Thus  the 
Congos  are  small  in  stature,  but  agile  and  good  laborers ; 
the  Fantee  are  a  larger  race,  revengeful,  and  apt  to  prove 
uneasy ;  those  from  the  Gold  Coast  are  still  more  powerful, 
and  command  higher  prices,  and  when  well  treated  make 
excellent  domestic  servants.  The  Ebros  are  less  black  than 
the  others,  being  almost  mulatto.     There  is  a  tribe  known 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  181 

as  the  Ashantees,  very  rare  in  Cuba,  as  they  are  powerful' 
at  home,  and  consequently  are  rarely  conquered  in  battle. 
or  taken  prisoners  by  the  shore  tribes  in  Africa,  who  sell 
them  to  the  slave  factories  on  the  coast.  They  are  prized, 
like  those  from  the  Gold  Coast,  for  their  strength,  Another 
tribe,  known  as  the  Carrobalees,  are  highly  esteemed  by  the 
planters,  but  yet  they  are  avoided  when  first  imported,  from 
the  fact  that  they  have  a  belief  and  hope,  very  powerful 
among  them,  that  after  death  they  will  return  to  their  native 
land,  and  therefore,  actuated  by  a  love  of  home,  these  poor 
exiles  are  prone  to  suicide.  This  superstition  is  also  be- 
lieved in  by  some  other  tribes ;  and  when  a  death  thus 
occurs,  the  planter,  as  an  example  to  the  rest,  and  to  prevent 
a  like  occurrence  among  them,  burns  the  body,  and  scatters 
the  ashes  to  the  wind  ! 

The  tattooed  faces,  bodies  and  limbs,  of  the  larger  portion 
of  the  slaves,  especially  those  found  inland  upon  the  plan- 
tations, indicate  their  African  birth ;  those  born  upon  the 
island  seldom  mark  themselves  thus,  and  being  more  intel- 
ligent than  their  parents,  from  mingling  with  civilization, 
are  chosen  generally  for  city  labor,  becoming  postilions, 
house-servants,  draymen,  laborers  upon  the  wharves,  and  the 
like,  presenting  physical  developments  that  a  white  man 
cannot  but  envy  on  beholding,  and  showing  that  for  some 
philosophical  reason  the  race  thus  transplanted  improves 
physically,  at  least.  They  are  remarkably  healthy ;  indeed, 
all  classes  of  slaves  are  so,  except  when  an  epidemic  breaks 
16 


182  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

'  out  among  them,  and  then  it  rages  more  fearfully  far  than 
with  the  whites.  Thus  the  cholera  and  small-pox  always 
sweep  them  off  by  hundreds  when  these  diseases  get  fairly 
introduced  among  them.  If  a  negro  is  sick  he  requires  just 
twice  as  much  medicine  as  a  white  man  to  affect  him,  but 
for  what  reason  is  a  mystery  in  the  practice  of  the  healing 
art.  The  prevailing  illness  with  them  is  bowel  complaints, 
to  which  they  are  always  more  or  less  addicted,  and  their 
food  is  therefore  regulated  to  obviate  this  trouble  as  far  as 
possible,  but  they  always  eat  freely  of  the  fruits  about  them, 
so  ripe  and  inviting,  and  so  plentiful,  too,  that  half  the  crop 
and  more,  usually  rots  upon  the  ground  ungathered.  The 
swine  are  frequently  let  loose  to  help  clear  the  ground  of 
its  overburdened  and  ripened  fruits. 

The  slaves  upon  the  plantations  in  all  outward  circum- 
stances seem  quite  thoughtless  and  happy ;  the  slave  code  of 
the  island,  which  regulates  their  government,  is  never  wide- 
ly departed  from.  The  owners  are  obliged  to  instruct  them 
all  in  the  Catholic  faith,  and  they  are  each  baptized  as  soon 
as  they  can  understand  the  signification  of  the  ceremony. 
The  law  also  provides  that  the  master  shall  give  a  certain 
quantity  and  variety  of  food  to  his  slaves  ;  but  on  this  score 
slaves  rarely  if  ever  have  cause  of  complaint,  as  it  is  plainly 
for  the  planter's  interest  to  keep  them  in  good  condition. 
There  is  one  redeeming  feature  in  Spanish  slavery,  as  con- 
trasted with  that  of  our  southern  country,  and  that  is,  that 
the  laws  favor  emancipation.     If  a  slave  by  his  mdustry  is 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  183 

able  to  accumulate  money  enough  to  pay  his  Jiist  cost  to 
his  mastfer,  however  unwilling  the  planter  may  be  to  part 
with  him,  the  law  guarantees  him  his  freedom.  This  the 
industrious  slave  can  accomplish  at  farthest  in  seven  years, 
with  the  liberty  and  convenience  which  all  are  allowed. 
Each  one,  for  instance,  is  permitted  to  keep  a  pig,  and  to 
cultivate  a  small  piece  of  land  for  his  own  purposes,  by 
raising  corn ;  the  land  yielding  two  crops  to  the  year,  they 
can  render  a  pig  fat  enough,  and  the  drovers  pay  fifty  dol- 
lars apiece  to  the  slaves  for  good  ones.  This  is  a  redeeming 
feature,  but  it  is  a  bitter  pill  at  best. 

There  are  doubtless  instances  of  cruelty  towards  the 
slaves,  but  the  writer  is  forced  to  acknowledge  that  he 
never  witnessed  a  single  evidence  of  this  during  his  stay  in 
the  island,*  and,  while  he  would  be  the  last  person  to  defend 
slavery  as  an  institution,  yet  he  is  satisfied  that  the  practi- 
cal evils  of  its  operation  are  vastly  overrated  by  ignOrant 
persons.  It  is  so  obviously  for  the  planter's  interest  to  treat 
his  slaves  kindly,  and  to  have  due  consideration  for  their 
health  and  comfort  —  that  he  must  be  a  very  short-sighted 
being  not  to  realize  this.  What  man  would  under-feed, 
ill-treat,  or  poorly  care  for  a  horse  that  he  expected  to 
serve  him,  in  return,  promptly  and  well  ?  We  have  only 
to  consider  the  subject  in  this  light  for  a  moment,  to  see 


*  "  I  believe  the  lash  is  seldom  applied  ;  I  have  never  seen  it,  nor  have  I 
seen  occasion  for  it." — Rev.  Abiel  AbboVa  Letters. 


184  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

how  impossible  it  is  that  a  system  of  despotism,  severity 
and  cruelty,  would  be  exercised  by  a  Cuban  master  towards 
his  slaves.  Let  no  ingenious  person  distort  these  remarks 
into  a  pro-slavery  argument.     God  forbid  ! 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Pecmiary  value  of  the  slave-trade  to  Havana  —  The  slave  clippers — • 
First  introduction  of  slaves  into  Cuba  —  Monopoly  of  the  traffic  by 
England  —  Spain's  disregard  of  treaty  stipulations  —  Spanish  perfidy 
—  Present  condition  of  Spain — Her  decadence  —  Influence  upon  her 
American  possessions  —  Slaves  upon  the  plantations  —  The  soil  of 
Cuba  —  Mineral  wealth  of  the  island  —  The  present  condition  of  the 
people  —  The  influences  of  American  progress  —  What  Cuba  might  be. 

Like  Liverpool  and  Boston,  in  their  early  days,  Havana 
has  drawn  an  immense  wealth  from  the  slave-trade  ;  it  has 
been  the  great  commercial  item  in  the  business  for  the  capi- 
tal year  after  year,  and  the  fitting  out  of  ventures,  the  man- 
ning of  vessels,  and  other  branches  of  trade  connected  there- 
with, have  been  the  sources  of  uncounted  profit  to  those 
concerned.  The  vessels  employed  in  this  business  were 
built  with  an  eye  to  the  utmost  speed.  Even  before  the 
notion  of  clipper  ships  was  conceived,  these  crafts  were  built 
on  the  clipper  model,  more  generally  known  as  Baltimore 
clippers.  Over  these  sharp  hulls  was  spread  a  quantity  of 
canvas  that  might  have  served  as  an  outfit  for  a  seventy- 
four.  The  consummate  art  displayed  in  their  construction 
was  really  curious,  and  they  were   utterly  unfit  for  any 


186  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

legitimate  commerce.  Nor  are  these  vessels  by  any  means 
yet  extinct.  They  hover  about  the  island  here  and  there 
at  this  very  hour ;  now  lying  securely  in  some  sheltered 
bay  on  the  south  side,  and  now  seeking  a  rendezvous  at  the 
neighboring  Isle  of  Pines.  The  trade  still  employs  many 
crafts.  They  mount  guns,  have  a  magazine  in  accordance 
with  their  tonnage,  with  false  decks  that  can  be  shipped  and 
unshipped  at  will. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  Americans  can  produce  the 
fastest  vessels  in  the  world ;  and  speed  is  the  grand  deside- 
ratum with  the  slaver,  consequently  Americans  are  em- 
ployed to  build  the  fleet  crafts  that  sail  for  the  coast  of 
Africa.  The  American  builder  must  of  course  know  the 
purpose  for  which  he  constructs  these  clippers ;  and,  indeed, 
the  writer  is  satisfied,  from  personal  observation,  that  these 
vessels  are  built  on  speculation,  and  sent  to  Cuba  to  be  sold 
to  the  highest  bidder.  Of  course,  being  in  a  measure  con- 
traband, they  bring  large  prices,  and  the  temptation  is 
strong  to  construct  them,  rather  than  to  engage  in  the  more 
regular  models.  This  reference  to  the  subject  as  connected 
with  the  commerce  of  the  island,  leads  us  to  look  back  to 
the  history  of  the  pernicious  trafiic  in  human  beings,  from 
its  earliest  commencement  in  Cuba,  and  to  trace  its  begin- 
ning, progress  and  main  features. 

It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  Las  Casas  first  sug- 
gested the  plan  of  substituting  African  slave  labor  for  that 
of  the  Indians  in  Cuba,  he  having  noticed  that  the  natives, 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  187 

entirely  unused  to  labor,  sunk  under  the  hard  tasks  im- 
posed upon  them,  while  the  robuster  negroes  thrived 
under  the  same  circumstances.  But  negro  slavery  did  not 
originate  with  Las  Casas.  Spain  had  been  engaged  in  the 
slave  trade  for  years,  and  long  prior  to  the  discovery  of 
America  by  Columbus ;  and  Zuniga  tells  us  that  they 
abounded  in  Seville.  Consequently  Spanish  emigrants 
from  the  old  world  brought  their  slaves  with  them  to  Cuba, 
and  the  transportation  of  negro  slaves,  born  in  slavery 
among  Christians,  was  sanctioned  expressly  by  royal  ordi- 
nances. Ferdinand  sent  over  fifty  slaves  to  labor  in  the 
royal  mines.  Las  Casas  pleaded  for  the  further  employ- 
ment of  negroes,  and  consequent  extension  of  the  slave 
trade.  "But  covetousness,"  says  Bancroft,  "and  not  a 
mistaken  benevolence,  established  the  slave,  trade,  which 
had  nearly  received  its  development  before  the  charity  of 
Las  Casas  was  heard  in  defence  of  the  Indians.  Reason, 
policy  and  religion  alike  condemned  the  traffic." 

Cardinal  Ximenes,  the  grand  inquisitor  of  Spain,  pro- 
tested against  the  introduction  of  negroes  in  Hispaniola, 
foi^eseeing  the  dangers  incident  to  their  increase ;  and  three 
centuries  later  the  successful  revolt  of  the  slaves  of  Hayti, 
the  first  place  in  America  which  received  African  slaves, 
justified  his  intelligent  predictions  and  forebodings.  Eng- 
land embarked  largely  in  the  slave  trade,  and  Queen  Eliza- 
beth shared  in  the  guilty  profits  of  the  traffic.  In  the  year 
1713,  when,  after  a  period  of  rest,  the  slave  trade  was 


188  HISTOKY  OP   CUBA. 

resumed,  the  English  purchased  of  Spain  a  monopoly  of  the 
trade  with  the  Spanish  colonies,  and  she  carried  it  on  with 
great  vigor  and  pecuniary  success,  until  she  had  completely 
stocked  these  islands  with  blacks.  In  the  year  1763  their 
number  was  estimated  at  sixty  thousand.  This  fact  will 
enable  us  to  appreciate  as  it  deserves  the  extreme  modesty 
of  the  British  government  in  fomenting  abolition  schemes  in 
the  island  of  Cuba,  after  contributing  so  largely  to  the  cre- 
ation of  an  evil  which  appears  almost  irremediable.  We 
say  a  realizing  sense  of  the  circumstances  of  the  case  will 
enable  us  rightly  to  appreciate  the  character  of  the  British 
government's  philanthropy.  We  applaud  England  for  her 
efforts  at  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade. —  a  traffic" 
w^hich  all  the  powers  of  Christendom,  Spain  excepted,  have 
united  to  crush, —  but  we  cannot  patiently  contemplate  her 
efforts  to  interfere  with  the  internal  economy  of  other  coun- 
tries, when  she  herself,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Spanish  colo- 
nies and  of  the  United  States,  has  so  weighty  a  share  of 
responsibility  in  the  condition  of  things  as  they  now  exist ; 
to  say  nothing  of  the  social  condition  of  her  own  subjects, 
which  so  imperatively  demands  that  her  charity  should 
begin  at  home. 

We  have  said  that  Spain  alone,  of  the  great  powers,  has 
not  done  her  part  in  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade. ^ 

*  English  authorities,  —  Sir  F.  Buxton  in  the  van,  —  declare  that  the 
extent  of  the  slave  trade  has  but  slightly  diminished,  while  the  restrictions 
under  which  it  is  now  cai-ried  on  renders  it  moi'e  fatal  than  ever  to  the 
l)lacks. 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  189 

She  is  solemnly  pledged  by  treaty  stipulations,  to  make 
unceasing  war  against  it,  and  yet  she  tacitly  connives  at  its 
continuance,  and  all  the  world  knows  that  slaves  are  month- 
ly, almost  weekly,  landed  in  Cuba.  Notorious  is  it  that  the 
captains-general  have  regularly  pocketed  a  fee  of  one  dou- 
bloon or  more  for  every  slave  landed,  and  that  this  has 
been  a  prolific  source  of  wealth  to  them.  The  exceptions  to 
this  have  been  few,  and  the  evidences  are  indisputable. 
Within  a  league  of  the  capital  are  several  large  barracoons, 
as  they  are  called,  where  the  newly-imported  slaves  are 
kept,  and  offered  for  sale  in  numbers.  The  very  fact  that 
these  establishments  exist  so  near  to  Havana,  is  a  circum- 
stance from  which  each  one  may  draw  his  own  inference. 
No  one  can  travel  in  Cuba  without  meeting  on  the  various 
plantations  groups  of  the  newly-imported  Africans.  Val- 
dez,  who  strenuously  enforced  the  treaty  obligations  relative 
to  the  trade,  without  regard  to  private  interest,  was  tra- 
duced by  the  Spaniards,  and  by  their  management  fell  into 
disfavor  with  his  government  at  home.  O'Donnel  deluged 
the  island  with  slaves  during  his  administration,  and  filled 
his  coffers  with  the  fees  accruing  therefrom.  Since  his  time 
the  business  has  gone  on, —  to  be  sure  less  openly,  and 
under  necessary  restrictions,  but  nevertheless  with  great 
pecuniary  profit. 

At  the  same  time  the  Spanish  authorities  have,  while 
thus  increasing  the  numbers  of  savage  Africans  reduced  to 
a  state  of  slavery,  constantly  endeavored  to  weaken  the 


190  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

bonds  of  attachment  between  master  and  slave,  and  to  fer- 
ment the  unnatural  hatred  of  races  with  the  fearful  design 
of  preparing  another  St.  Domingo  for  the  Cubans,  should 
they  dare  to  strike  a  strenuous  blow  for  freedom. 

We  have  thus  seen  that  the  Spanish  crown  is  directly 
responsible  for  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  Cuba,  and 
that  crown  officers,  invested  with  more  than  vice-regal 
authority,  have  sanctioned,  up  to  this  day,  the  accumula- 
tion and  the  aggravation  of  the  evil.  '  It  is  now  clearly 
evident  that  the  slave-trade  will  continue  so  long  as  the 
island  of  Cuba  remains  under  the  Spanish  flag.  The  Brit- 
ish government  have  remonstrated  again  and  again  with 
Spain,  against  this  long-continued  infraction  of  treaties; 
but  the  dogged  obstinacy  of  the  Spanish  character  has  been 
proof  against  remonstrance  and  menace.  She  merits  the 
loss  of  Cuba  for  her  persistent  treachery  and  perfidy,  leav- 
ing out  of  the  account  a  long  list  of  foul  wrongs  practised 
upon  the  colony,  the  enormous  burthen  of  taxes  placed  upon 
it,  and  the  unequalled  rigor  of  its  rule.  The  time  has 
come  when  the  progress  of  civilization  demands  that  the 
island  shall  pass  into  the  hands  of  some  power  possessed  of 
the  ability  and  the  will  to  crush  out  this  remnant  of  barbar- 
ism. That  power  is  clearly  designated  by  the  hand  of 
Providence.  No  European  nation  can  dream  of  obtaining 
Cuba ;  no  administration  in  this  country  could  stand  up  for 
one  moment  against  the  overwhelming  indignation  of  the 
people,  should  it  be  weak  enough  to  acquiesce  in  the  trans- 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  191 

fer  of  Cuba  to  any  European  power.  The  island  must  be 
Spanish  or  American.  Had  it  been  the  property  of  a  first- 
rate  power,  of  any  other  European  sovereignty  but  Spain, 
it  would  long  since  have  been  a  cause  of  war.  It  is  only 
the  imbecile  weakness  of  Spain  that  has  thus  far  protected 
her  against  the  consequences  of  a  continuous  course  of  per- 
fidy, tyranny  and  outrage.  But  the  impunity  of  the  feeble 
and  the  forbearance  of  the  strong  have  their  limits ;  and 
nations,  like  individuals,  are  amenable  to  the  laws  of  retri- 
butive justice. 

The  present  condition  of  Spain  is  a  striking  illustration 
of  the  mutability  of  fortune,  from  which  states,  no  more 
than  individuals,  are  exempted.  We  read  of  such  changes 
in  the  destinies  of  ancient  empires, —  the  decadence  of 
Egypt,  the  fall  of  Assyria,  and  Babylon,  and  Byzantium, 
and  Rome ;  but  their  glory  and  fall  were  both  so  far  dis- 
tant in  the  recess  of  time,  that  their  history  seems,  to  all 
of  us  who  have  not  travelled  and  inspected  the  monuments 
which  attest  the  truth  of  these  events,  a  sort  of  romance : 
whereas,  in  the  case  of  Spain,  we  realize  its  greatness,  and 
behold  its  fall  !  One  reason  why  we  feel  so  deep  an  inter- 
est in  the  fate  of  the  Castilian  power,  is  that  the  history  of 
Spain  is  so  closely  interwoven  with  that  of  our  own  country, 
—  discovered  and  colonized  as  it  was  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Spanish  government.  We  ow^e  our  very  existence  to 
Spain,  and  from  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century  our  his- 
tories have  run  on  in  parallel  lines.     But  while  America 


192  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

has  gone  on  increasing  in  the  scale  of  destiny,  in  grandeur, 
power  and  wealth,  poor  Spain  has  sunk  in  the  scale  of  des- 
tiny, with  a  rapidity  of  decadence  no  less  astonishing  than 
the  speed  of  our  own  progress.  The  discovery  of  Americk, 
as  before  alluded  to.  seemed  to  open  to  Spain  a  boundless 
source  of  wealth  and  splendid  power ;  triumphs  awaited  her 
arms  in  both  North  and  South  America.  Cortes  in  Mexico 
and  Pizarro  in  Peru  added  vast  territory  and  millions  of 
treasure  to  the  national  wealth.  But  we  have  seen  how 
sure  is  retribution.  One  by  one  those  ill-gotten  possessions 
have  escaped  the  grasp  of  the  mother  country :  and  now.  in 
her  old  age,  poor,  and  enfeebled,  and  worn  out,  she  clings, 
with  the  death-gripe  of  a  plundered  and  expiring  miser,  to 
her  last  earthly  possession  in  the  New  World. 

Moved  in  some  degree  by  the  same  spirit  that  actuates 
the  home  government,  the  Cubans  have  heretofore  viewed 
anything  that  looked  like  an  attempt  at  improvement  with 
a  suspicious  eye ;  they  have  learned  to  fear  innovation ;  but 
this  trait  is  yielding,  as  seen  in  the  introduction  of  rail- 
roads, telegraphs,  and  even  the  lighting  of  the  city  of  Ha- 
vana by  gas, —  all  done  by  Americans,  who  had  first  to 
contend  with  great  opposition,  and  to  run  imminent  risks  and 
lavish  energy  and  money ;  but  when  these  things  are  once 
in  the  course  of  successful  experiment,  none  are  more  ready 
than  the  Cubans  to  approve.  This  same  characteristic, 
a  clinging  to  the  past  and  a  fear  of  advancement,  seems  to 
have  imparted  itself  to  the  very  scenery  of  the  island,  for 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  193 

everything  here  appears  to  be  of  centuries  in  age,  reminding 
one  of  the  idea  he  has  formed  of  the  hallowed  East.  The 
style  of  the  buildings  is  not  dissimilar  to  that  which  is 
found  throughout  the  Orient,  and  the  trees  and  vegetable 
products  increase  the  resemblance.  Particularly  in  ap- 
proaching Havana  from  the  interior,  the  view  of  the  city 
resembles  almost  precisely  the  Scriptural  picture  of  Jerusa- 
lem. The  tall,  majestic  palms,  with  their  tufted  tops,  the 
graceful  cocoanut  tree,  and  many  other  peculiarities,  give 
to  the  scenery  of  Cuba  an  Eastern  aspect,  very  impressive 
to  the  stranger.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  to  one  who 
has  not  visited  the  tropics,  the  bright  vividness  with  which 
each  object,  artificial  or  natural,  house  or  tree,  stands  out 
in  the  clear  liquid  light,  where  there  is  no  haze  nor  smoke 
to  interrupt  the  view.  Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  express 
fully  how  everything  differs  in  Cuba  from  our  own  coun- 
try, so  near  at  hand.  The  language,  the  people,  the  cli- 
mate, the  manners  and  customs,  the  architecture,  the  foli- 
age, the  flowers  and  general  products,  all  and  each  afford 
broad  contrasts  to  what  the  American  has  ever  seen  at 
home.  But  a  long  cannon-shot,  as  it  were,  off  our  southern 
coast,  yet  once  upon  its  soil,  the  visitor  seems  to  have  been 
transported  into  another  quarter  of  the  globe,  the  first  im- 
pression being,  as  we  have  said,  decidedly  of  an  Orientxil 
character.  But  little  effort  of  the  imagination  would  be 
required  to  believe  oneself  in  distant  Syria,  or  some  re- 
mote part  of  Asia. 
17 


194  HISTORY   OF   CUBA.    , 

But  let  us  recur  for  one  moment  to  the  subject  of  the 
slaves  from  which  we  have  unwittingly  digressed.  On  the 
plantations  the  slaves  have  some  rude  musical  instruments, 
which  they  manufacture  themselves,  and  v^^hich  emit  a  dull 
monotonous  sound,  to  the  cadence  of  which  they  sit  by  moon- 
light and  sing  or  chant,  for  hours  together.  One  of  these 
instruments  is  a  rude  drum  to  the  beating  of  which  they 
perform  grotesque  dances,  with  unwearying  feet,  really  sur- 
prising the  looker-on  by  their  power  of  endurance  in  sus- 
taining themselves  in  vigorous  dancing.  Generally,  or  as  is 
often  the  case,  a  part  of  Saturday  of  each  week  is  granted 
to  the  slaves,  when  they  may  frequently  be  seen  engaged  at 
ball,  playing  a  curious  game  after  their  own  fashion.  This 
time  of  holiday  many  prefer  to  pass  in  working  upon  their 
own  allotted  piece  of  ground  and  in  raising  favorite  vegetables 
and  fruitS;  or  corn  for  the  fattening  of  the  pig  hard  by,  and 
for  which  the  drovers,  who  regularly  visit  the  plantations  for 
the  purpose,  will  pay  them  in  good  golden  doubloons.  It  is 
thought  that  the  city  slave  has  a  less  arduous  task  than 
those  in  the  country,  for  he  is  little  exposed  to  the  sun,  and 
is  allowed  many  privileges,  such  for  instance  as  attending 
church,  and  in  this  the  negroes  seem  to  take  particular 
delight,  especially  if  well  dressed.  A  few  gaudy  ribbons, 
and  nice  glass  beads  of  high  color  are  vastly  prized  by  both 
sexes  of  the  slaves  in  town  and  country.  In  the  cities  some 
mistresses  take  pleasure  in  decking  out  their  immediate 
male  and  female  attendants  in  fine  style  with  gold  ornaments 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  195 

in  profusion.  There  was  one  beautiful  sight  the  writer  par- 
ticularly noticed  in  the  church  of  Santa  Clara,  viz  :  that 
before  the  altar  all  distinction  was  dropped,  and  the  negro 
knelt  beside  the  Don. 

The  virgin  soil  of  Cuba  is  so  rich  that  a  touch  of  the 
hoe  prepares  it  for  the  plant,  or,  as  Douglass  Jerrold  says 
of  Australia,  ''just  tickle  her  with  a  hoe  and  she  laughs 
with  a  harvest."  So  fertile  a  soil  is  not  known  to  exist  in 
any  other  portion  of  the  globe.  It  sometimes  produces  three 
crops  to  the  year,  and  in  ordinary  seasons  two  may  be  relied 
upon, — the  consequence  is  that  the  Monteros  have  little  more 
to  do  than  merely  to  gather  the  produce  they  daily  carry 
to  market,  and  which  also  forms  so  large  a  portion  of  their 
own  healthful  and  palatable  food.  The  profusion  of  its  flora 
and  the  variety  of  its  forests  are  unsurpassed,  while  the  mul- 
titude of  its  climbing  shrubs  gives  a  luxuriant  richness  to 
its  scenery,  which  contributes  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  fas- 
cinating countries  in  the  world.  Nowhere  are  the  neces- 
sities of  life  so  easily  supplied,  or  man  so  delicately  nur- 
tured. 

The  richest  soil  of  the  island  is  the  black,  which  is  best 
adapted  to  the  purpose  of  the  sugar-planter,  and  for  this 
purpose  it  is  usually  chosen.  So  productive  is  this  descrip- 
tion of  land  that  the  extensive  sugar  plantations,  once  fairly 
started,  will  run  for  years,  without  the  soil  being  even 
turned,  new  cane  starting  up  from  the  old  roots,  year  after 
year,  with  abundant  crops.  This  is  a  singular  fact  to  us  who 


19G  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

are  accustomed  to  see  so  much  of  artificial  means  expended 
upon  the  soil  to  enable  it  to  bear  even  an  ordinary  crop  to 
the  husbandman.  The  red  soil  is  less  rich,  and  is  better 
adapted  to  the  planting  of  coffee,  being  generally  preferred 
for  this  purpose,  while  the  mulatto-colored  earth  is  considered 
inferior,  but  still  is  very  productive  and  is  improved  by 
the  Monteros  for  planting  tobacco,  being  first  prepared  with 
a  mixture  of  the  other  two  descriptions  of  soil  vfhich  together 
form  the  richest  compost,  next  to  guano,  known  in  agri- 
culture. 

Coal  is  fortunately  found  on  the  island,  of  a  bituminous 
nature  ;  had  this  not  been  the  case,  the  numerous  steam 
engines  which  are  now  at  work  on  the  plantations  would 
have  soon  consumed  every  vestige  of  .wood  on  the  island, 
though  by  proper  economy  the  planter  can  save  much  by 
burning  the  refuse  cane.  The  soil  is  also  rich  in  mineral 
wealth,  particularly  in  copper,  iron  and  loadstone.  Gold 
and  silver  mines  have  been  opened,  and  in  former  times  v«^ere 
worked  extensively,  but  are  now  entirely  abandoned.  The 
copper  mines  near  Sagua  la  Grande  in  1841  yielded  about 
four  millions  of  dollars,  but  the  exactions  of  the  govern- 
ment were  such  that  they  greatly  reduced  the  yield  of  the 
ore.  An  export  duty  of  five  per  cent,  was  at  first  imposed 
upon  the  article :  finally  the  exportation  was  prohibited  al- 
together, unless  shipped  to  old  Spain,  with  a  view  of  com- 
pelling the  owners  to  smelt  it  in  that  country.  These  arbi- 
trary measures  soon  reduced  the  profit  of  the  business,  and 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  197 

the  working  of  the  mines  from  producing  in  1841  four  mil- 
lions, to  about  two  by  1845,  and  finally  they  were  aban- 
doned. 

And  now  is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  Creoles  should 
groan  under  the  load  of  oppressions  forced  upon  them  as 
depicted  in  the  foregoing  pages  7  No  !  On  the  contrary 
we  feel  that  they  are  too  forbearing,  and  look  to  the  ener- 
vating influence  of  their  clime  as  an  excuse  for  their  supine- 
ness  under  such  gross  wrongs.  Their  lovely  climate  and 
beautiful  land  are  made  gloomy  by  the  persecutions  of  their 
oppressors ;  their  exuberant  soil  groans  with  the  burthens 
that  are  heaped  upon  it.  They  are  not  safe  from  prying 
inquiry  at  bed  or  board,  and  their  every  action  is  observed, 
their  slightest  words  noted.  They  can  sing  no  song  not  in 
praise  of  royalty,  and  even  to  hum  an  air  wedded  to  repub- 
lican verse  is  to  provoke  suspicion  and  perhaps  arrest.  The 
press  is  muzzled  by  the  iron  hand  of  power,  and  speaks  only 
in  adulation  of  a  distant  queen  and  a  corrupt  court.  Foreign 
soldiers  fatten  upon  the  people,  eating  out  their  substance, 
and  every  village  near  the  coast  of  the  island  is  a  garrison, 
every  interior  town  is  environed  with  bayonets  ! 

A  vast  deal  has  been  said  about  the  impregnable  harbor 
of  Havana,  the  "Gibraltar  of  America"  being  its  common 
designation,  but  modern  military  science  acknowledges  no 
place  to  be  impregnable.  A  thousand  chances  might  hap- 
pen which  would  give  the  place  to  an  invading  force ;  be- 
sides which  it  has  been  already  twice  taken ;  and  though  it 
17* 


198  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

may  be  said  that  on  these  occasions  it  was  not  nearly  so 
^yell  garrisoned  as  now,  neither  so  well  armed  or  manned, 
the  reply  is  also  ready  that  it  has  never  been  besieged  by 
such  a  force  as  could  now  be  brought  against  it,  to  say  no- 
thing of  the  vast  advantage  afforded  by  the  modern  facilities 
for  destruction.*  Were  not  the  inaccessible  heights  of 
Abraham  scaled  in  a  night  ?  and  how  easily  the  impreg- 
nable fortress  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa  fell !  Havana  could 
be  attacked  from  the  land  side  and  easily  taken  by  a  reso- 
lute enemy.  With  the  exception  of  this  one  fortress,  the 
More,  and  the  fort  in  its  rear,  the  Cabensas,  the  island  is 
very  poorly  defended,  and  is  accessible  to  an  invading  force 
in  almost  any  direction,  either  on  the  east,  west,  or  south 
coast.  Matanzas,  but  sixty  miles  from  Havana,  could  be 
taken  by  a  small  force  from  the  land  side,  and  serve  as  a 
depot  from  whence  to  operate,  should  a  systematic  effort  be 
organized.     Cuba's  boasted  strength  is  chimerical. 

Steam  and  the  telegraph  are  revolutionizing  all  business 
relations  and  the  course  of  trade.  A  line  of  steamers,  one 
of  the  best  in  the  world,  runs  between  New  York  and  Ha- 
vana, also  New  Orleans  and  Havana.  By  this  means  all 
important  intelligence  reaches  Cuba  in  advance  of  any  other 
source,  and  through  this  country.  By  the  telegraph,  Ha- 
vana is  brought  within  three  days'  communication  with  New 

*  "It  is  as  well  secured  as  it  probably  could  be  against  an  attack  from 
the  harbor,  but  could  still  be  assailed  with  effect  in  the  same  way  in 
which  the  French  succeeded  against  Algiers,  by  landing  a  sufficient  force 
in  the  rear." Alexander  H.  Everett. 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  199 

York  and  Boston.  All  important  advices  must  continue  to 
reach  the  island  through  the  United  States,  and  the  people 
must  still  look  to  this  country  for  political  and  commercial 
information,  and  to  the  movement  of  our  markets  for  the 
regulation  of  their  own  trade  and  commerce.  New  Orleans 
has  become  the  great  centre  to  which  their  interests  will 
naturally  tend ;  and  thus  we  see  another  strong  tie  of  com- 
mon interest  established  between  the  island  of  Cuba  and 
the  United  States. 

Naturally  belonging  to  this  country  by  every  rule  that 
can  be  applied,  the  writer  believes  that  Cuba  will  ere  long 
be  politically  ours.  As  the  wise  and  good  rejoice  in  the 
extension  of  civilization,  refinement,  the  power  of  religion 
and  high-toned  morality,  they  will  look  forward  hopefully 
to  such  an  event.  Once  a  part  of  this  great  confederacy,  Cuba 
would  immediately  catch  the  national  spirit  and  genius  of 
our  institutions,  and  the  old  Castilian  state  of  dormancy 
would  give  way  to  Yankee  enterprise,  her  length  and  breadth 
would  be  made  to  smile  like  a  New  England  landscape. 
Her  sons  and  daughters  would  be  fully  awakened  to  a  true 
sense  of  their  own  responsibility,  intelligence  would  be  sown 
broadcast,  and  the  wealth  of  wisdom  would  shine  among  the 
cottages  of  the  poor. 

In  the  place  of  the  rolling  drum  and  piercing  fife,  would 
be  heard  the  clink  of  the  hammer  and  the  merry  laugh  of 
untrammelled  spirits.  The  bayonets  that  bristle  now  on 
every  hill-side  would  give  place  to  waving  corn,  and  bright 


200  HISTORY   OF  CUBA. 

fields  of  grain.  The  honest  Montero  would  lay  aside  his 
Toledo  blade  and  pistol  holsters,  and  the  citizen  who  went 
abroad  after  sun-set  would  go  unarmed.  INIodern  churches, 
dedicated  to  pure  Christianity,  would  raise  their  lofty  spires 
and  point  towards  heaven  beside  those  ancient  and  time- 
eaten  cathedrals.  The  barrack  rooms  and  guard  stations, 
in  every  street,  town  or  village,  would  be  transformed  into 
school-houses,  and  the  trade  winds  of  the  tropics  would 
sweep  over  a  new  Republic ! 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Area  of  Cuba  —  Extent  of  cultivated  and  uncultivated  lands  —  Population 

—  Proportion  between  the  sexes  —  Ratio  of  legitimate  to  illegitimate 
births  —  Ratio  between  births  and  deaths  —  Agricultural  statistics  — 
Commerce  and  commercial  regulations  —  Custom  house  and  port 
charges  —  Exports  and  imports' —  Trade  with  the  United  States  —  Uni- 
versities and  schools  —  Education  —  Charitable  institutions — Railroads 

—  Temperature. 

In  addition  to  the  statistical  information  incidentally  con- 
tained in  the  preceding  pages,  we  have  prepared  the  follow- 
ing tables  and  statements  from  authentic  sources,  giving  a 
general  view  of  the  resources,  population,  wealth,  products 
and  commerce,  etc.,  of  the  island,  with  other  items  of  inter- 
est and  importance. 

Area  of  Cuba. —  Humboldt  states  the  area  of  the  island 
to  be  43,380  geographical  square  miles.  Mr.  Turnbull 
puts  it  at  31,468,  and,  adding  the  areas  of  its  dependencies, 
namely,  the  Isle  of  Pines,  Turignano,  Romano,  Guajaba, 
Coco,  Cruz,  Paredon  Grande,  Barril,  De  Puerto,  Euse- 
nachos,  Frances,  Largo,  and  other  smaller  islands,  makes 
the  total  32,807  square  miles. 


02 

HISTORY   OP  CUBA. 

Years. 

Population. 

1775,  . 

• 

170,370. 

1791, 

. 

272,140. 

1817,  . 

. 

551,998. 

1827, 



704,487,  viz. : 

Whites,  male, 

168,653        Free  colored; 

,  males,      .     51,962 

"      female,  . 

.    142,398 

females,  .     .  54,532 

311,051 


106,494 


Slaves,  183,290  males,  and  103,652  females,=286,942. 
Total  colored,  393,436.     Excess  of  colored  over  white  pop- 
ulation, 82,305. 
Year  1841— 

Whites,  .... 

Free  colored,     . 

Slaves,  .... 


418,291 

152,838 


436,495 


Total,      .... 

1,007,624 

Excess  of  colored  over  white. 

.     171,042 

'  1851— 

Whites,          .         .         .         . 

605,560 

Free  colored,     . 

.     205,570 

Slaves,           .         .         .         . 

442,000 

1,253,130 


Total,      .... 
Year  1854— 

Total  population,     . 

Proportions  between  the  sexes. —  In  1774  the  white 

males  formed  58  per  cent.,  and  the  females  42  per  cent., 


1,500,000 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  203- 

of  the  population ;  free  colored,  males,  52,  females,  48 ; 
male  slaves,  65,  females,  35.  Total,  males,  58  per  cent., 
females,  42. 

In  1792  the  proportion  was  — 


Whites,  males,     . 

0.55 

*'        females. 

.     0.45 

Free  colored,  males,     . 

0.47 

"             females. 

.     0.53 

Slaves,  males, 

0.56 

"       females. 

.     0.44 

Total,  males,    . 

0.53 

"     females,     . 

.     0.47 

In  1817— 

Whites,  males,     . 

0.55 

"       females. 

.     0.45 

Free  colored,  males, 

0.52 

"             females. 

.     0.48 

Slaves,  males,      . 

0.62 

"       females. 

.     0.38 

Total,  males,    . 

0.57 

*'     females,     . 

.  ^     .     0.53 

In  1827— 

Whites,  males,     . 

0.54 

"        females, 

.     0.46 

Free  colored,  males,     . 

0.48 

"             females, 

.     0.52 

Slaves,  males, 

0.64 

204  HISTORY   OP   CUBA. 

Slaves,  females,       .         .         .         .0.36 
Total,  males,    .         .         .         .         0.56 
''     females,     ....     0.44 
In  Paris,  the  ratio  is  54.5  per  cent,  males,  to  45.5  fe- 
males; in  England,  50.3  per  cent,  males,  and  49.7  percent, 
females,  and  in  the  United  States,  51  per  cent,  males,  and 
49  per  cent,  females. 

The  ratio  of  legitimate  to  illegitimate  births,  deduced 
from  the  observations  of  five  years,  is  as  follows : 
2.1136  to  1  among  the  whites ; 
0.5058  to  1  among  the  colored; 
1.0216  to  1  in  the  total. 
That  is  to  say,  establishing  the  comparison  per  centum, 
as  in  the  proportion  of  the  sexes,  we  have : 

Whites,       .     .     67.8  per  cent,  legitimate,  and  32.2  per  cent,  illegitimate. 
Colored,    .     .      33.7      "  "  "   66.3      " 

Total,    .    .     .     50.5      "  "  "   49.5      " 

No  capital  or  people  of  Europe,  Stockholm  alone  ex- 
cepted, offers  so  startling  a  result,  nearly  one  half  the  num- 
ber of  births  being  illegitimate. 

Taking  the  average  from  the  statements  of  births  for  five 
years,  we  find  that  in  every  100  legitimate  whites  there  are 
51.1  males,  and  48.9  females;  and  in  an  equal  number  of 
illegitimate,  49  niales,  and  51  females.  Among  people  of 
color,  in  100  legitimate  births,  50.6  males,  and  49.4  fe- 
males; and  in  the  illegitimate,  47.2  males,  and  52.8  fe- 
males.    And  finally,  that,  comparing  the  totals,  we  obtain 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 


205 


in  the  legitimate,  51.6  males,  and  48.4  females;  and  in  the 
illegitimate,  47.1  males,  and  52.9  females.  Consequently 
these  observations  show  that  in  Cuba,  in  the  illegitimate 
births,  the  number  of  males  is  much  less  than  that  of 
females,  and  the  contrary  in  the  legitimate  births. 
Ratio  between  the  Births  and  Deaths  for  five  years. 


Births, 

Deaths, 

Diiference,    .    .    . 

1825 

1826 

1827 

1828 

1829 

3,129 

2,698 

431 

3,443 

2,781 

662 

3,491 

3,077 

414 

3,705 

3,320 

385 

3,639 

3,712 

73 

Agriculture. —  The  total  number  of  acres  comprising 
the  whole  territory  is  14,993,024.  Of  these,  in  1830, 
there  were  used 

In  sugar-cane  plantations,  .  .  172,608 
''  coffee  trees,  .  .  .  184,352 
''  tobacco,  ....  54,448 
"  lesser  or  garden  and  fruit  culture,  823,424 

Total  acres,  .  .  .  1,234,832 
Leaving  over  13,000,000  of  acres  uncultivated.  Some  of 
these  uncultivated  lands  are  appropriated  to  grazing,  others 
to  settlements  and  towns ;  the  remainder  occupied  by  moun- 
tains, roads,  coasts,  rivers  and  lakes, —  the  greater  part, 
however,  wild. 

Total  value  of  lands  in  1830,        .         .  $94,396,300 
Value  of  buildings,  utensils,  etc.,        .         55,603,850 
The   different  products  of  cultivation  were   valued   as 
follows : 

18 


206  HISTOKY   OF  CUBA. 

Sugar  canes  in  the  ground,  .         .  .     $6,068,877 

Coflfee  trees, 32,500,000 

Fruit  trees,  vegetables,  etc.,          .  .     46,940,700 

Tobacco  plants,        ....  340,620 

Total  value  of  plants,  .  .  .  85,850,197 
Total  value  of  wood  exported,  consumed 

on  the  island  and  made  into  charcoal,  .  $3,818,493 
Minimum  value  of  the  forests,  .  .  190,624,000 
Value  of  138,982  slaves,  at  $300  each,  .  41,694,600 
Total  value  of  live  stock,    .         .        .       39,617,885 

RECAPITULATION. 

Lands, $94,396,300 

Plants,  including  timber,    .         .         .  276,774,367 

Buildings,  engines  and  utensils,        .  54,603,850 

Slaves, 41,694,600 

Animals, 39,617,885 


507,087,002 


Representative  value  of  capital  invested,    317,264,832 

VALUE    OF  AGRICULTURAL   PRODUCTS. 

Sugar, $8,132,609 

Molasses,    .        .  -      .         .        .        .  262,932 

Coffee, 4,325,292 

Cocoa, 74,890 


Carried  forward,  .        .         .        12,795,723 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

2( 

Brought  forward, 

$12,795,723 

Cotton, 

125,000 

Leaf  tobacco, 

.     687,240 

Rice, 

454,230 

Beans,  peas,  onions,  etc.. 

.     257,200 

Indian  corn,         .... 

.      4,853,418 

Vegetables  and  fruits, 

11,475,712 

Grapes,       .../.. 

.      5,586,616 

Casada, 

.     146,144 

Charcoal, 

.       2,107,300 

Woods  or  the  products  of  woods, 

1,741,195 

Total  value  of  vegetable  productions, 

.     40,229,838 

Total  value  of  animal  productions, 

9,023,116 

49,252,954 
Total  net  product  of  agricultural  and  rural 

industry, 22,808,622 

Capital  invested,  $338,917,705,  produces,  48,839,928 

COMMERCE   AND    COMMERCIAL   REGULATIONS. 

Imjyoy't  duties. —  The  rate  of  duty  charged  on  the  im- 
portation of  foreign  produce  and  manufactures  in  foreign 
bottoms  is  24^  and  30^  on  the  tariff  valuation  of  each  arti- 
cle, while  the  same  articles  in  Spanish  bottoms,  from  a  for- 
eign port,  pay  17^^  and  21^  per  cent. 

Export  duties. —  Foreign  flag  for  any  port,  6^  per  cent, 
on  tariff  valuation. 


208  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

Spanish  flag  for  a  foreign  port,  4^  per  cent,  on  tariff 
valuation. 

Spanish  flag  for  Spanish  port,  2|  per  cent,  on  tafiff 
valuation ;  except  leaf  tobacco,  which  pays  12^,  6^  and  2^ 
per  cent.,  according  to  the  flag  and  destination. 

An  additional  per  centage,  under  various  pretexts,  is  also 
levied  on  the  total  amount  of  all  duties. 

Foreign  flour  is  subject  to  a  duty  that  is  nearly  pro- 
hibitory. 

Gold  and  silver  are  free  of  import  duty,  but  pay,  the 
former  1^  and  the  latter  2^  per  cent.,  export. 

Every  m?ster  of  a  vessel,  on  entering  port,  is  obliged  to 
present  two  manifests  of  his  cargo  and  stores, —  one  to  the 
boarding  officers,  and  the  other  at  the  time  of  making  entry 
and  taking  both  the  oaths,  twenty-four  hours  after  his  ar- 
rival, with  permission  of  making  any  necessary  corrections 
within  the  twelve  working  hours ;  and  every  consignee  is 
required  to  deliver  a  detailed  invoice  of  each  cargo  to  his, 
her  or  their  consignment,  within  forty-eight  hours  after  the 
vessel  has  entered  port,  and  heavy  penalties  are  incurred 
from  mere  omission  or  inaccuracy. 

The  tonnage  duty  on  foreign  vessels  is  12  rials,  or  $1.50, 
per  register  ton. 

On  vessels  arriving  and  departing  in  ballast  or  putting 
in  in  distress  no  duty  is  levied. 

Besides  the  tonnage  duty,  every  foreign  square-rigged 


HISTORY   OP  CUBA.  209 

vessel  entering  and  loading  incurs  about  $85  expenses, 
besides  $5.50  for  each  day  occupied  in  discharging. 
Foreign  fore-and-aft  vessels  pay  about  $15  less  port 
charges. 

The  tonnage  duties  and  port  charges  are  very  high. 
Foreign  vessels  pay  $8.50  per  ton.  In  the  port  of  Ha- 
vana an  additional  duty  of  21f  cents  per  ton  is  levied  on 
all  vessels  for  the  support  of  the  dredging  machine. 

The  wharf  charges  on  foreign  vessels  are  $1.50  for  each 
100  tons  register. 

The  light-house  duties,  officers'  fees,  etc.,  vary  at  the  dif- 
ferent ports  of  the  island,  but  are  exorbitantly  high  in  all. 
At  Baracoa,  for  instance,  the  following  is  the  tariff  of 
exactions : 

Tonnage  duty,  per  ton,     .         .         .         .         $1.50 

Anchorage, 12.00 

Free  pass  at  the  fort,        .         .         .         .  3.00 

Healtli  officer, 8.00 

Interpreter, 5.00 

Inspector's  fee  for  sealing  hatchway,      .         .       5.00 
Inspecting  vessel's  register,        .         .         .  8.00 

Clearance, 8.00 

The  actual  expenses  of  discharging  a  foreign  vessel  of 

160y\  tons,  which  remained  a  fortnight  in  the   port   of 

Havana,  amounted  to 

18* 


210 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 


IMPORTS    AND    EXPORTS    OF    CUBA   FOR   A   SERIES    OF   SIX- 
TEEN YEARS. 


Years. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

1826 

$14,925,754 

$13,809,838 

182T 

17,352,854 

14,286,192 

1828 

19,534,922 

13,114,362 

1829 

18,695,856 

13,952,405 

1830 

16,171,562 

15,870,968 

1831 

15,548,791 

12,918,711 

1832 

15,198,465 

13,595,017 

1834 

18,511,132 

13,996,100 

1835 

18,563,300 

14,487,955 

1836 

20,722,072 

14,059,246 

1837 

22,551,969 

15,398,245 

1838 

22,940,357 

20,346,407 

1839 

24,729,878 

20,471,102 

1840 

25,217,796 

21,481,848 

1841 

24,700,189 

25,941,783 

1842 

24,637,527 

26,684,701 

During  the  last  year  (1842),  the  imports  from  the  Uni- 
ted States  were, 

In  Spanish  vessels,         ....  $474,262 

do., $5,725,959 


In  Foreign 


Exports  to  the  United  States  for  the  same  year, 
In  Spanish  vessels,         ....  $243,683 

In  Foreign     do., $5,038,891 

Total  imports  from  the  United  States,  $6,200,219 

"   exports  to  do.,  $5,282,574 

Total  number  of  arrivals  in  Spanish  ports  (1842),       2657 
"  clearances  from  do.,  2727 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  211 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  exports  from  the  princi- 
pal towns  in  1848  : 

North  Side  of  the  Island. 

Havana.  Matanzas.  Cardenas.  Sagua  la  Grande. 

Sugar  (boxes)                          671,440  318,931  13,900          34,628 

Coffee  (arrobas,  251bs.  each)    93,797  61,251  1,094 

Molasses  (hhds.)                      25,886  61,793  60,508           8,327 

Rum  (pipes)                              10,479  1 

Cigars  (thousands)                 136,980  62 

Mariel.  Gibaro.  Remedios.      Neuvitas.       Baracoa. 

Sugar  (boxes)  1,648  5,595          4,293 

Coffee  (arrobas)  16,241  114 

Molasses  (hhds.)               8,336  16,201  1,880          5,030 

Rum  (pipes)  223 

Cigars  (boxes,  1000  each)  588  88          2,061          247 

Tobacco  (lbs.)                           1,867,736  2,267   102,168 

South  Side. 

ManzanUla.  Trinidad.  St.  Jago  de  Cuba.  Cienfuegos.  Santa  Cruz. 

Sugar  (boxes)                115  69,656  31,298  59,215  198 

Coffee  (arrobas)  3,609  548,432  128 

Molasses  (hhds.)         1,475  26,175  857  14,160  997 

Rum  (pipes)  60  554  379  181 

Tobacco  (lbs.)          315,570  1,208,536  5,000  2,669 

Cigars  (thousands)         542  399  4,575  41  155 

Copper  ore  (lbs.)  571,826 

Unive7^slties,  Schools,  etc. —  Besides  the  Eoyal  Univer- 
sity at  Havana,  there  are  several  other  learned  institutes, 
such  as  the  Royal  Seminary  of  San  Carlos  y  San  Ambro- 
sio,  founded  in  1773  ;  a  seminary  for  girls,  founded  in 
1691 ;  a  free  school  for  sculpture  and  painting,  which  dates 


212  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

from  1818;  a  free  mercantile  schoolj  and  some  private 
seminaries,  to  which  we  have  before  referred.  The  Royal 
Economical  Society  of  Havana,  formerly  called  the  Patri- 
otic Society,  was  established  in  1Y93,  and  is  divided  into 
three  principal  sections,  on  education,  agriculture,  com- 
merce and  popular  industry ;  a  department  of  history  has 
been  added.  Several  eminent  and  talented  men  have  given 
eclat  to  this  institution. 

The  Medical  School  was  organized  in  1842. 

The  means  of  general  education  are  very  narrow  and 
inadequate.  No  report  on  the  state  of  education  in  the 
island  has  been  published  since  1836.  At  that  time,  there 
were  two  hundred  and  ten  schools  for  white,  and  thirty-one 
for  colored  children.  In  1842,  the  public  funds  for  educa- 
tional purposes  were  reduced  from  thirty-two  thousand  to 
eight  thousand  dollars.  Nueva  Filipina.  in  a  rich  tobacco- 
growing  district,  with  a  population  of  thirty  thousand  souls, 
had  but  one  school  for  forty  pupils,  a  few  years  since. 

Charitable  Institutions^  Hospitals^  etc,  —  There  are 
several  charitable  institutions  in  Havana,  with  ample  funds 
and  well  managed.  Such  are  the  Casa  Real  de  Benefi- 
cencia,  the  Hospital  of  San  Lazaro  and  the  Foundling  Hos- 
pital,—  Casa  Real  de  Maternidad.  In  other  parts  of  the 
island,  there  are  eighteen  hospitals,  located  in  its  chief 
towns. 

Rail-roads. —  The  first  railroad  built  in  Cuba  was  that 
from  Havana  t(f  Guines,  forty-five  miles  in  length,  com- 


niSTORY    OF   CUBA.  213 

pleted  and  opened  in  1839.  In  1848,  there  were  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  miles  of  railroads  on  the  island,  and 
the  capital  invested  in  them  has  been  computed  at  between 
five  and  six  millions  of  dollars. 

Climate. —  The  diversity  of  surface  gives  rise  to  con- 
siderable variation  in  temperature.  On  the  highest  moun- 
tain ridgeSj  at  four  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
ice  is  sometimes  formed  in  mid  winter,  but  snow  is  unknown. 

The  mean  temperature  of  the  hottest  months  (July  and 
August)  is  about  83°  Fahrenheit.  The  coldest  months  are 
January  and  December. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Retrospective  thoughts  —  The  bright  side  and  dark  side  of  the  picture  — 
Cuban  institutions  contrasted  with  our  own  —  Political  sentiments  of 
the  Creoles  —  War  footing  —  Loyalty  of  the  colony  —  Native  men  ot 
genius  —  The  Cubans  not  willing  slaves  —  Our  own  revolution  —  Apos- 
tles of  rebellion  —  Moral  of  the  Lopez  expedition  —  Jealousy  of  Spain 
—  Honorable  position  of  our  government  —  Spanish  aggressions  on  our 
flag  —  Purchase  of  the  island  —  Distinguished  conservative  opinion  — 
The  end. 

It  is  with  infinite  reluctance  that  the  temporary  sojourner 
in  Cuba  leaves  her  delicious  shores,  and  takes  his  farewell 
look  at  their  enchanting  features.  A  brief  residence  in  the 
island  passes  like  a  midsummer  night's  dream,  and  it 
requires  a  strenuous  eflfort  of  the  mind  to  arrive  at  the  con- 
viction that  the  memories  one  brings  away  with  him  are  not 
delusive  sports  of  the  imagination.  Smiling  skies  and  smil- 
ing waters,  groves  of  palm  and  orange,  the  bloom  of  the 
heliotrope,  the  jessamine,  and  the  rose,  flights  of  strange 
and  gaudy  birds,  tropic  nights  at  once  luxurious  and  calm, 
clouds  of  fire-flies  floating  like  unsphered  stars  on  the  night 
breeze,  graceful  figures  of  dark-eyed  senoritas  in  diapha- 
nous drapery,  picturesque  groups  of  Moilteros,  relieved  by  the 
dusky  faces  and  stalwart  forms  of  the  sons  of  Africa,  undu- 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  215 

lating  volantes,  military  pageants,  ecclesiastical  processions, 
frowning  fortresses,  grim  batteries,  white  sails,  fountains 
raining  silver, —  all  these  images  mingle  together  in  brilliant 
and  kaleidoscopic  combinations,  changing  and  varying  as 
the  mind's  eye  seeks  to  fix  their  features.  Long  after  his 
departure  from  the  enchanting  island  the  traveller  beholds 
these  visions  in  the  still  watches  of  the  night,  and  again  he 
listens  to  the  dash  of  the  sea-green  waves  at  the  foot  of  the 
Moro  and  the  Punta,  the  roll  of  the  drum  and  the  crash  of 
arms  upon  the  ramparts,  and  the  thrilling  strains  of  music 
from  the  military  band  in  the  Plaza  de  Armas.  The  vexa- 
tions incident  to  all  travel,  and  meted  out  in  no  stinted 
measure  to  the  visitor  at  Cuba,  are  amply  repaid  by  the 
spectacles  it  presents. 

" It  is  a  goodly  sight  to  see 

What  Heaven  hath  done  for  this  delicious  land  ! 
What  fruits  of  fragrance  blush  on  every  tree  ! 
What  goodly  prospects  o'er  the  hills  expand  !  " 

If  it  were  possible  to  contemplate  only  the  beauties  that 
nature  has  so  prodigally  lavished  on  this  Eden  of  the  Gulf, 
shutting  out  all  that  man  has  done  and  is  still  doing  to  mar 
the  blessings  of  Heaven,  then  a  visit  to  or  residence  in  Cuba 
would  present  a  succession  of  unalloyed  pleasures  equal  to  a 
poet's  dream.  But  it  is  impossible,  even  if  it  would  be  desira- 
ble, to  exclude  the  dark  side  of  the  picture.  The  American 
traveller,  particularly,  keenly  alive  to  the  social  and  political 
aspects  of  life,  appreciates  in  full  force  the  evils  that  chal- 


216  HISTORY    OF   CUBA. 

lenge  his  observation  at  every  step,  and  in  every  view  which 
he  may  take.  If  he  contrast  the  natural  scenery  with  the  fa- 
miliar pictures  of  home,  he  cannot  help  also  contrasting  the 
political  condition  of  the  people  with  that  of  his  own  country. 
The  existence,  almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  flag  of  the 
freest  institutions  the  earth  ever  knew,  of  a  government  as 
purely  despotic  as  that  of  the  autocrat  of  all  the  Russias, 
is  a  monstrous  fact  that  startles  the  most  indifferent  ob- 
server. It  must  be  seen  to  be  realized.  To  go  hence  to 
Cuba  is  not  merely  passing  over  a  few  degrees  of  latitude  in 
a  few  days'  sail, —  it  is  a  step  from  the  nineteenth  century 
back  into  the  dark  ages.  In  the  clime  of  sun  and  endless 
summer,  we  are  in  the  land  of  starless  political  darkness. 
Lying  under  the  lee  of  a  land  where  every  man  is  a  sov- 
ereign, is  a  realm  where  the  lives,  liberties,  and  fortunes  of 
all  are  held  at  the  tenure  of  the  will  of  a  single  individual, 
and  whence  not  a  single  murmur  of  complaint  can  reach  the 
ear  of  the  nominal  ruler  more  than  a  thousand  leagues  away 
in  another  hemisphere.  In  close  proximity  to  a  country 
where  the  taxes,  self-imposed,  are  so  light  as  to  be  almost 
unfelt,  is  one  where  each  free  family  pays  nearly  four  hun- 
dred dollars  per  annum  for  the  support  of  a  system  of  big- 
oted tyranny,  yielding  in  the  aggregate  an  annual  revenue 
of  twenty-five  millions  of  dollars  for  which  they  receive  no 
equivalent,  —  no  representation,  no  utterance,  for  pen  and 
tongue  are  alike  proscribed, —  no  honor,  no  ofiice,  no  emolu- 
ment; while  their   industry  is   crippled,  their  intercourse 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  217 

Tfitli  other  nations  hampered  in  every  way,  their  bread  lit- 
erally snatched  from  their  lips,  the  freedom  of  education 
denied,  and  every  generous,  liberal  aspiration  of  the  human 
soul  stifled  in  its  birth.  And  this  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, and  in  North  America. 

Such  are  the  contrasts,  broad  and  striking,  and  such  the 
reflections  forced  upon  the  mind  of  the  citizen  of  the  United 
States  in  Cuba.  Do  they  never  occur  to  the  minds  of  the 
Creoles  1  We  are  told  that  they  are  willing  slaves.  Spain 
tells  us  so,  and  she  extols  to  the  world  with  complacent 
mendacity  the  loyalty  of  her  "  siewpre  JieUssima  isla  de 
Cuba.'''  But  why  does  she  have  a  soldier  under  arms  for 
every  four  white  adults  ?  We  were  about  to  say,  white 
male  citizens,  but  there  are  no  citizens  in  Cuba.  A  pro- 
portionate military  force  in  this  country  would  give  us  a 
standing  army  of  more  than  a  million  bayonets,  with  an 
annual  expenditure,  reckoning  each  soldier  to  cost  only  two 
hundred  dollars  per  annum,  of  more  than  two  hundred  mil- 
lions of  dollars.  And  this  is  the  peace  establishment  of 
Spain  in  Cuba  —  for  England  and  France  and  the  United 
States  are  all  her  allies,  and  she  has  no  longer  to  fear  the 
roving  buccaneers  of  the  Gulf  who  once  made  her  trem- 
ble in  her  island  fastness.  For  whom  then  is  this  enormous 
warlike  preparation  ?  Certainly  for  no  external  enemy, — 
there  is  none.  The  question  answers  itself, —  it  is  for  her 
very  loyal  subjects,  the  people  of  Cuba,  that  the  queen  of 
Spain  makes  all  this  warlike  show. 
19 


218  HISTORY   OF   CUBA. 

It  is  impossible  to  conceive  of  any  degree  of  loyalty  that 
would  be  proof  against  the  unparalleled  burthens  and  atro- 
cious system  by  which  the  mother  country  has  ever  loaded 
and  weighed  down  her  w^estern  colonists.  They  must  be 
either  more  or  less  than  men  if  they  still  cherish  attach- 
ment to  a  foreign  throne  under  such  circumstances.  But  the 
fact  simply  is,  the  Creoles  of  Cuba  are  neither  angels  nor 
brutes ;  they  are,  it  is  true,  a  long-suffering  and  somewhat  in- 
dolent people,  lacking  in  a  great  degree  the  stern  qualities  of 
the  Anglo-Saxon  and  the  Anglo-Norman  races,  but  never- 
theless intelligent,  if  wanting  culture,  and  not  without  those 
noble  aspirations  for  independence  and  freedom,  destitute  of 
which  they  would  cease  to  be  men,  justly  forfeiting  all 
claim  to  our  sympathy  and  consideration.  During  the  brief 
intervals  in  which  a  liberal  spirit  was  manifested  towards 
the  colony  by  the  home  government,  the  Cubans  gave  proof 
of  talent  and  energy,  which,  had  they  been  permitted  to 
attain  their  full  development,  would  have  given  them  a 
highly  honorable  name  and  distinguished  character.  When 
the  field  for  genius  was  comparatively  clear,  Cuba  produced 
more  than  one  statesman  and  man  of  science,  who  vrould 
have  done  honor  to  a  more  favored  land. 

But  these  cheering  rays  of  light  were  soon  extinguished, 
and  the  fluctuating  policy  of  Spain  settled  down  into  the 
rayless  and  brutal  despotism  which  has  become  its  normal 
condition,  and  a  double  darkness  closed  upon  the  political 
and  intellectual  prospects  of  Cuba.    But  the  people  arc  not. 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  219 

and  have  not  been  the  supine  and  idle  victims  of  tyranny 
■which  Spain  depicts  them.  The  reader,  who  has  indul- 
gently followed  us  thus  far,  will  remember  the  several  times 
they  have  attempted,  manacled  as  they  are,  to  free  their 
limbs  from  the  chains  that  bind  them.  It  is  insultins;  and 
idle  to  say  that  they  might  have  been  free  if  they  had  earn- 
estly desired  and  made  the  effort  for  freedom.  Who  can  say 
what  would  have  been  the  result  of  our  own  struggle  for 
independence,  if  Great  Britain,  at  the  outset,  had  been  as 
well  prepared  for  resistance  as  Spain  has  always  been  in 
Cuba  7  Who  can  say  how  long  and  painful  would  have 
been  the  struggle,  if  one  of  the  most  powerful  military 
nations  of  Europe  had  not  listened  to  our  despairing  appeal, 
and  thrown  the  weight  of  her  gold  and  her  arms  into  the 
scale  against  our  great  enemy  7  When  we  see  how  —  as 
we  do  clearly  —  in  a  single  night  the  well-contrived  schemes 
of  an  adroit  and  unprincipled  knave  enslaved  a  brilliant  and 
war-like  people,  like  the  French,  who  had  more  than  once 
tasted  the  fruits  of  republican  glory  and  liberty,  who  had 
borne  their  free  flag  in  triumph  over  more  than  half  of 
Europe,  we  can  understand  why  the  Cubans,  overaAved  from 
the  very  outset,  by  the  presence  of  a  force  vastly  greater  in 
proportion  than  that  which  enslaved  France,  have  been 
unable  to  achieve  their  deliverance.  Nay,  more  —  when  we 
consider  the  system  pursued  by  the  government  of  the 
island,  the  impossibility  of  forming  assemblages,  and  of  con- 
certing action,  the  presence  of  troops  and  spies  everywhere, 


220  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

the  compulsory  silence  of  the  press  —  the  violation  of  the 
sanctity  of  correspondence,  the  presence  of  a  slave  popula- 
tion, Ave  can  only  wonder  that  any  effort  has  been  made, 
any  step  taken  in  that  fatal  pathway  of  revolution  which 
leads  infallibly  to  the  garrote. 

If  Cuba  lies  at  present  under  the  armed  heel  of  despot- 
ism we  may  be  sure  that  the  anguish  of  her  sons  is  keenly 
aggravated  by  their  perfect  understanding  of  our  own  lib- 
eral institutions,  and  an  earnest,  if  fruitless  desire  to  parti- 
cipate in  their  enjoyment.  It  is  beyond  the  power  of  the 
Spanish  government  to  keep  the  people  of  the  island  in  a 
state  of  complete  darkness,  as  it  seems  to  desire  to  do. 
The  young  men  of  Cuba  educated  at  our  colleges  and 
schools,  the  visitors  from  the  United  States,  and  American 
merchants  established  on  the  island,  are  all  so  many  apostles 
of  republicanism,  and  propagandists  of  treason  and  rebel- 
lion. Kor  can  the  captains-general  with  all  their  vigi- 
lance, exclude  what  they  are  pleased  to  call  incendiary 
newspapers  and  documents  from  pretty  extensive  circulation 
among  the  ''  ever  faithful.'^  That  liberal  ideas  and  hatred 
of  Spanish  despotism  are  widely  entertained  among  the 
Cubans  is  a  fact  no  one  who  has  passed  a  brief  period  among 
them  can  truthfully  deny.  The  writer  of  these  pages  avers, 
from  his  personal  knowledge,  that  they  await  only  the 
means  and  the  opportunity  to  rise  m  rebellion  against  Spain. 
We  are  too  far  distant  to  see  more  than  the  light  smoke, 
but  those  who  have  trodden  the  soil  of  Cuba  have  sounded 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.  221 

the  depths  of  the  volcano.  The  history  of  the  unfortunate 
Lopez  expedition  proves  nothing  contrary  *to  this.  The 
force  under  Lopez  afforded  too  weak  a  nucleus,  was  too 
hastily  thrown  upon  the  island,  too  ill  prepared,  and  too 
untimely  attacked,  to  enable  the  native  patriots  to  rally 
round  its  standard,  and  thus  to  second  the  efforts  of  the 
invaders.  With  no  ammunition  nor  arms  to  spare,  recruits 
would  have  only  added  to  the  embarrassment  of  the  adven- 
turers. Yet  had  Lopez  been  joined  by  the  brave  but  unfor- 
tunate Crittenden,  with  what  arms  and  ammunition  he  pos- 
sessed, had  he  gained  some  fastness  where  he  could  have 
been  disciplining  his  command,  until  further  aid  arrived,  the 
adventure  might  have  had  a  very  different  termination  from 
what  we  have  recorded  in  an  early  chapter  of  this  book. 

Disastrous  as  was  the  result  of  the  Lopez  expedition,  it 
nevertheless  proved  two  important  facts  :  first,  the  bravery  of 
the  Cubans,  a  small  company  of  whom  drove  the  enemy  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet ;  and,  secondly,  the  inefficiency  of 
Spanish  troops  when  opposed  by  resolute  men.  If  a  large 
force  of  picked  Spanish  troops  were  decimated  and  routed 
in  two  actions,  by  a  handful  of  ill-armed  and  undisciplined 
nien,  taken  by  surprise,  we  are  justified  in  believing  that  if 
an  effective  force  of  ten  thousand  men,  comprising  the  sev- 
eral arms,  of  cavalry,  artillery,  and  infantry,  had  been 
thrown  into  the  island,  they  would  have  carried  all  before 
them.  With  such  a  body  of  men  to  rally  upon,  the  Cubans 
would  have  risen  in  the  departments  of  the  island,  and  her 
19* 


222  llISTOilY    OF    CUBA. 

best  transatlantic  jewel  would  have  been  torn  from  the  dia- 
dem of  Spain. 

That  the  Spanish  government  lives  in  constant  dread  of  a 
renewal  of  the  efforts  on  the  part  of  Americans  and  exiled 
Cubans  to  aid  the  disafiected  people  of  the  island  in  throw- 
ing off  its  odious  joke,  is  a  notorious  fact,  and  there  are 
evidences  in  the  conduct  of  its  officials  towards  those  of  this 
government  that  it  regards  the  latter  as  secretly  favoring 
such  illegal  action.  Yet  the  steps  taken  bj  our  government  to 
crush  any  such  attempts  have  been  decided  enough  to  satisfy- 
any  but  a  jealous  and  unreasonable  power.  President  Fill- 
more, in  his  memorable  proclamation,  said,  "  Such  expedi- 
tions can  only  be  regarded  as  adventures  for  plunder  and 
robbery,"  and  declaring  Americans  who  engaged  in  them 
outlaws,  informed  them  that  '-  they  would  forfeit  their  claim 
to  the  protection  of  this  government,  or  any  interference  in 
their  behalf,  no  matter  to  what  extremity  they  might  be 
reduced  in  consequence  of  their  illegal  conduct."  In  ac- 
cordance with  this  declaration,  the  brave  Crittenden  and  his 
men  were  allowed  to  be  shot  at  Atares,  though  they  were 
not  taken  with  arms  in  their  hands,  had  abandoned  the  ex- 
pedition, and  were  seeking  to  escape  from  the  island. 

In  a  similar  spirit  the  present  chief  magistrate  alluded 
to  our  relations  with  Spain  in  his  inaugural  address,  in 
the  following  explicit  terms  :  — 

"  Indeed  it  is  not  to  be  disguised  that  our  attitude  as  a 
nation,  and  our  position  on  the  globe,  render  the  acquisition 


HISTORY    OF    CUBA.  228 

of  certain  possessions,  not  within  our  jurisdiction,  eminently 
important,  if  not,  in  the  future,  essential  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  rights  of  commerce  and  the  peace  of  the  world. 
Should  they  be  obtained,  it  will  be  through  no  grasping 
spirit,  but  with  a  view  to  obvious  national  interest  and  se- 
curity, and  in  a  manner  entirely  consistent  with  the  strictest 
observance  of  national  faith." 

A  recent  proclamation,  emanating  from  the  same  source, 
and  warning  our  citizens  of  the  consequences  of  engaging 
in  an  invasion  of  the  island,  also  attests  the  determination 
to  maintain  the  integrity  of  our  relations  with  an  allied 
power. 

No  candid  student  of  the  history  of  our  relations  with 
Spain  can  fail  to  be  impressed  by  tlie  frank  and  honorable 
attitude  of  our  government,  or  to  contrast  its  acts  with 
those  of  the  Spanish  officials  of  Cuba.  A  history  of  the 
commercial  intercourse  of  our  citizens  with  the  island  would 
l)e  a  history  of  petty  and  also  serious  annoyances  and  griev- 
ances to  which  they  have  been  subjected  for  a  series  of  years 
by  the  Spanish  officials,  increasing  in  magnitude  as  the  latter 
have  witnessed  the  forbearance  and  magnanimity  of  our  gov- 
ernment. Not  an  American  merchant  or  captain,  who  has  had 
dealings  with  Cuba,  but  could  furnish  his  list  of  insults  and 
outrages,  some  in  the  shape  of  illegal  extortions  and  delays, 
others  merely  gratuitous  ebullitions  of  spite  and  malice  dic- 
tated by  a  hatred  of  our  country  and  its  citizens.  Of  late 
instances  of  outrage  so  flagrant  have  occurred,  that  the  exec- 


224  HISTORY   OF   CUBA, 

utive  has  felt  bound  to  call  the  attention  of  Congress  to 
them  in  a  message,  in  which  he  points  out  the  great  evil 
which  lies  at  the  bottom,  and  also  the  remedy. 

"  The  offending  party,''  he  says,  "  is  at  our  doors  with 
large  power  for  aggression,  but  noiie,  it  is  alleged,  for  repara- 
tion. The  source  of  redress  is  in  another  hemisphere  ;  and 
the  answers  to  our  just  complaints,  made  to  the  home  govern- 
ment, are  but  the  repetition  of  excuses  rendered  by  inferior 
officials  to  the  superiors,  in  reply  to  the  representations  of 
misconduct.  In  giving  extraordinary  power  to  them,  she. 
owes  it  to  justice,  and  to  her  friendly  relations  to  this  govern- 
ment, to  guard  with  great  vigilance  against  the  exorbitant 
exercise  of  these  powers,  and  in  case  of  injuries  to  provide 
for  prompt  redress." 

It  is  very  clear  that  if,  in  such  cases  as  the  seizure  of  a 
vessel  and  her  cargo  by  the  port  officers  at  Havana,  for  an 
alleged  violation  of  revenue  laws,  or  even  port  usages,  re- 
dress, in  case  of  official  misconduct,  can  only  be  had  by 
reference  to  the  home  government  in  another  part  of  the 
world,  our  trade  with  Cuba  will  be  completely  paralyzed. 
The  delay  and  difficulty  in  obtaining  such  redress  has  already, 
in  too  many  cases,  prompted  extortion  on  the  one  hand,  and 
acquiescence  to  injustice  on  the  other.  The  experience  of 
the  last  four  years  alone  will  fully  sustain  the  truth  of  this 
assertion. 

In  1851  two  American  vessels  were  seized  off  Yucatan 
by  the  Spanish  authorities  on  suspicion  of  being  engaged  in 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  225 

the  Lopez  expedition ;  in  the  same  year  the  steamship  Fal- 
con was  wantonly  fired  upon  by  a  Spanish  government  ves- 
sel ;  in  1852  the  American  mail  bags  were  forcibly  opened 
and  their  contents  examined  by  order  of  the  captain-general ; 
and  less  than  two  years  ago,  as  is  well  known,  the  Crescent 
City  was  not  allowed  to  land  her  passengers  and  mails,  sim- 
ply because  the  purser,  Smith,  was  obnoxious  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  island.  The  Black  Warrior,  fired  into  on  one 
voyage,  was  seized  lately  for  a  violation  of  a  custom  house 
form  —  an  affair  not  yet,  it  is  believed,  settled  with  the 
Spanish  government.  More  than  once,  on  specious  pretexts, 
have  American  sailors  been  taken  from  American  vessels 
and  thrown  into  Spanish  prisons.  In  short,  the  insults  of- 
fered by  Spanish  ofiicials  to  our  flag  have  so  multiplied  of 
late  that  the  popular  indignation  in  the  country  has  reached 
an  alarming  height. 

It  is  difficult  for  a  republic  and  a  despotism,  situated  like 
the  United  States  and  Cuba,  to  live  on  neighborly  terms  : 
and  to  control  the  indignation  of  the  citizens  of  the  former, 
proud  and  high  spirited,  conscious  of  giving  no  offence,  and 
yet  subjected  to  repeated  insults,  is  a  task  almost  too  great 
for  the  most  adroit  and  pacific  administration.  When  we 
add  to  this  feeling  among  our  people  a  consciousness  that 
Cuba,  the  source  of  all  this  trouble,  is  in  unwilling  vassal- 
age to  Spain,  and  longing  for  annexation  to  the  United  States, 
that  under  our  flag  the  prosperity  of  her  people  would  be 
secured,  a  vast  addition  made  to  our  commercial  resources. 


226  HISTORY   OF    CUBA. 

an  invaluable  safeguard  given  to  our  southern  frontier,  and 

the  key  to  the  Mississippi  and  the  great  west  made  secure 
forever,  we  can  no  longer  wonder  at  the  spread  of  the  con- 
viction that  Cuba  should  belong  to  this  country,  and  this 
too  as  soon  as  can  be  honorably  brought  about.  Had  she 
possessed  more  foresight  and  less  pride,  Spain  would  have 
long  since  sold  the  island  to  the  United  States,  and  thereby 
liave  relieved  herself  of  a  weighty  care  and  a  most  danger- 
ous property. 

"  So  far  from  being  really  injured  by  the  loss  of  the  isl- 
and," says  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  in  his  able  and  well 
known  letter  to  the  British  minister  rejecting  the  proposi- 
tion for  the  tripartite  convention,  "  there  is  no  doubt  that, 
were  it  peacefully  transferred  to  the  United  States,  a  pros- 
perous commerce  between  Cuba  and  Spain,  resulting  from 
ancient  associations  and  common  language  and  tastes,  would 
be  far  more  productive  than  the  best  contrived  system  of 
colonial  taxation.  Such,  notoriously,  has  been  the  result  to 
Great  Britain  of  the  establishment  of  the  independence  of 
the  United  States." 

If  it  be  true  that  the  American  minister  at  Madrid  has 
been  authorized  to  offer  a  price  nothing  short  of  a  royal 
ransom  for  the  island,  we  cannot  conceive  that  the  greedy 
queen,  and  even  the  Cortes  of  Spain,  would  reject  it,  unless 
secretly  influenced  by  the  powers  which  had  the  efirontery  to 
propose  for  our  acceptance  the  tripartite  treaty,  by  which  we 
were  expected  to  renounce  forever  all  pretension  to  the  posses- 


HISTORY    OF   CUBA.       -^  227 

sion  of  Cuba.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  France  and  Eng- 
land could  for  a  moment  seriously  suppose  that  such  a  ridicu- 
lous proposition  would  be  for  one  moment  entertained  by  this 
government,  and  yet  they  must  so  have  deceived  themselves, 
or  otherwise  they  would  not  have  made  the  proposition  as 
they  did. 

Of  the  importance,  not  to  say  necessity,  of  the  possession 
of  Cuba  by  the  United  States,  statesmen  of  all  parties  are 
agreed ;  and  they  are  by  no  means  in  advance  of  the  popu- 
lar sentiment ;  indeed,  the  class  who  urge  its  immediate 
acquisition,  at  any  cost,  by  any  means,  not  as  a  source  of 
wealth,  but  as  a  political  necessity,  is  by  no  means  incon- 
siderable.  It  would  be  foreign  to  our  purpose  to  quote  the 
opinions  of  any  ultraists,  nor  do  we  design,  in  these  closing 
remarks,  to  enter  the  field  of  politics,  or  political  discussion. 
We  have  endeavored  to  state  facts  only,  and  to  state  them 
plainly,  deducing  the  most  incontrovertible  conclusions. 

We  find  the  following  remarks  in  a  recent  conservative 
speech  of  Mr.  Latham,  a  member  of  Congress,  from  Cali- 
fornia. They  present,  with  emphasis,  some  of  the  points 
we  have  lightly  touched  upon  : 

''  I  admit  that  our  relations  with  Spain,  growing  out  of 
that  island  (Cuba),  are  of  an  extremely  delicate  nature  ; 
that  the  fate  of  that  island,  its  misgovernment,  its  proximity 
to  our  shores,  and  the  particular  institutions  established 
upon  it,  are  of  vast  importance  to  the  peace  and  security  of 
this  country ;  and  that  the  utmost  vigilance  in  regard  to  it 


228  HISTORY    OF    CUBA. 

is  not  only  demanded  bj  prudence,  but  an  act  of  imperative 
duty  on  the  part  of  our  government.  The  island  of  Cuba 
commands,  in  a  measure,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  case  of 
a  maritime  war,  in  which  the  United  States  may  be  engaged, 
its  possession  by  the  enemy  might  become  a  source  of  infi- 
nite annoyance  to  us.  crippling  our  shipping,  threatening 
the  great  emporium  of  our  southern  commerce,  and  expos- 
ing our  whole  southern  coast,  from  the  capes  of  Florida  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  to  the  enemy's  cruisers.  The 
geographical  position  of  Cuba  is  such  that  we  cannot,  with- 
out a  total  disregard  to  our  own  safety,  permit  it  to  pass 
into  the  hands  of  any  first-class  power ;  nay,  that  it  would 
be  extremely  imprudent  to  allow  it  to  pass  even  into  tlie 
hands  of  a  power  of  the  second  rank,  possessed  of  energy 
and  capacity  for  expansion." 

If  Cuba  come  into  our  possession  peaceably,  as  the  fruits 
of  a  fair  bargain,  or  as  a  free-will  offering  of  her  sons,  after 
a  successful  revolution,  we  can  predict  for  her  a  future  as 
bright  as  her  past  has  been  desolate  and  gloomy :  for  the 
union  of  a  territory  with  a  foreign  population  to  our  con- 
federacy is  no  new  and  doubtful  experiment.  Louisiana, 
with  her  French  and  Spanish  Creoles,  is  one  of  the  most 
reliable  states  of  the  Union ;  and,  not  long  after  her  admis- 
sion, she  signed,  with  her  best  blood,  the  pledge  of  fealty  to 
the  common  country. 

More  recently,  we  all  remember  how,  when  Taylor,  in 
the  presence  of  the  foe  upon  the  Rio  Grande,  called  for 


HISTORY   OF   CUBA.  229 

volunteers,  the  gallant  Creoles  rushed  to  arms,  and  crowded 
to  his  banner.  The  Creoles  of  Cuba  are  of  the  same  blood 
and  lineage, — Spaniards  in  chivalry  of  soul,  without  the 
ferocity  and  fanaticism  of  the  descendants  of  the  Cid.  We 
are  sure,  from  what  they  have  shown  in  the  past,  that 
liberal  institutions  will  develop  latent  qualities  which  need 
only  free  air  for  their  expansion.  They  will  not  want  com- 
panions, friends  and  helpers.  A  tide  of  emigration  from 
the  States  will  pour  into  the  island,  the  waste  lands  will  be 
reclaimed,  and  their  hidden  wealth  disclosed ;  a  new  system 
of  agricultural  economy  will  be  introduced ;  the  woods  of 
the  island  will  furnish  material  for  splendid  ships :  towns 
and  villages  will  rise  with  magical  celerity,  and  the  whi)le 
surface  of  the  "  garden  of  the  world  "  will  blossom  like  the 
rose. 

"  Rich  in  soil,  salubrious  in  climate,  varied  in  produc- 
tions, the  home  of  commerce,"  says  the  Hon.  0.  R.  Single- 
ton, of  Mississippi,  "  Cuba  seems  to  have  been  formed  to 
become  '  the  very  button  on  Fortune's  cap.'  Washed  by 
the  Gulf-stream  on  half  her  borders,  with  the  Mississippi 
pouring  out  its  rich  treasures  on  one  side,  and  the  Amazon, 
destined  to  become  a  '  cornucopia,'  on  the  other, —  with  the 
ports  of  Havana  and  Matanzas  on  the  north,  and  the  Isle  of 
Pines  and  St.  Jago  de  Cuba  on  the  south,  Nature  has  writ- 
ten upon  her,  in  legible  characters,  a  destiny  fur  above  that 
of  a  subjugated  province  of  a  rotten  European  dynasty. 
Her  home  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  North  American  confed- 
20 


230  HISTOKY    OF   CUBA. 

eracy.  Like  a  lost  Pleiad,  she  may  wander  on  for  a  few 
months  or  years  in  lawless,  chaotic  confusion ;  but.  ulti- 
mately, the  laws  of  nature  and  of  nations  will  vindicate 
themselves,  and  she  will  assume  her  true  social  and  politi- 
cal condition,  despite  the  diplomacy  of  statesmen,  the  trick- 
ery of  knaves,  or  the  frowns  of  tyrants.  Cuba  will  be  free. 
The  spirit  is  abroad  among  her  people  ;  and,  although  they 
dare  not  give  utterance  to  their  thoughts,  lest  some  treach- 
erous breeze  should  bear  them  to  a  tyrant's  ears,  still  they 
think  and  feel,  and  will  act  when  the  proper  time  shall 
arrive.  The  few  who  have  dared  '  to  do  or  die '  have  fallen, 
and  their  blood  still  marks  the  spot  where  they  fell.  Such 
has  been  the  case  in  all  great  revolutionary  struggles. 
Those  who  lead  the  van  must  expect  a  sharp  encounter 
before  they  break  through  the  serried  hosts  of  tyranny,  and 
many  a  good  man  falls  upon  the  threshold  of  the  temple. 

"  '  But  freedom's  battle  once  begun, 
Bequeathed  from  bleeding  sire  to  son, 
Though  baffled  oft,  is  always  won.'  " 


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